Robots may become Apple’s next big thing. The company is looking for a completely new product category to grow its business, and robots might be the answer, according to an unconfirmed report from an analyst.
While Apple designers’ work on robots remains in the proof-of-concept stage, products could be just a few years away from reaching customers.
Apple robots: iBot on the drawing board?
Apple started with desktop computers back in the 1970s, and over the decades grew and expanded its business into new areas: laptops, MP3 players, smartphones, smartwatches and more. But not everything succeeded — Apple canceled its secret car project in 2024, for example.
Robots are a new product category being investigated. “Apple is exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its future smart home ecosystem,” Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, wrote Wednesday on X.
As noted, the designs are still at the proof-of-concept stage. That means Apple is still “verifying whether product ideas and core technologies are viable before formal kick-off,” according to Kuo. In other words, company engineers are exploring the possibilities, not yet developing specific products.
Apple supposedly hasn’t locked itself into the idea of a robot shaped like a human being. However, the company seems intent on injecting its robots with a heaping helping of humanity. Much as the iPhone’s famous “rubber band” scrolling effect made the device both fun and functional, the company seems keen on making its anthropomorphic robots feel lifelike.
“While the industry debates the merits of humanoid vs. non-humanoid designs, supply chain checks indicate Apple cares more about how users build perception with robots than their physical appearance,” said Kuo.
A Bloomberg report from last year also indicated that Apple is exploring household robots. The initial stage could be an iPad on a robotic arm that can swivel to constantly face the user. Long term, “Apple has envisioned machines that can do household chores — like loading up a laundry machine or scrubbing down dirty plates,” Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman wrote.
See for yourself
Photo: Apple
We don’t need to depend on rumors and leaks to know about Apple’s deep interest in robots. Company researchers showed off a lamp-like robot earlier this month. The bot goes beyond simply interpreting hand gestures to bring light where a user needs it — the computer expresses personality.
The prototype robo-lamp shows Apple isn’t automatically thinking in terms of mimicking Rosey the Robot from The Jetsons. The company is clearly considering functionality ahead of a humanoid form.
But we non-mechanical humans will have to be patient about what’s coming from Cupertino in this product area. “The timeline from [proof-of-concept] to formal kick-off varies,” noted Kuo. “Given current progress and typical development cycles, Apple’s robot mass production likely won’t start until 2028 or later.”
We likely won’t need to wait nearly so long for other new smart home products from Apple, though. The company is supposedly working on a wall-mounted HomeKit hub as well as a doorbell with Face ID for release in the coming months.
