TL;DR:
• Apple developing tabletop robots and wheeled assistants with LLM-powered Siri
• Smart home display launching mid-2026, security cameras follow as new product category
• Animated Siri using Finder logos and Memojis aims to rival ChatGPT's voice mode
• Major strategy shift after delayed Siri upgrades highlight Apple's AI lag behind competitors
Apple just revealed its most ambitious AI strategy yet - a complete pivot into smart home robotics powered by large language models. According to an extensive Bloomberg report, the iPhone maker plans tabletop robots, animated Siri assistants, and an entirely new smart home ecosystem launching as early as mid-2026. The timing couldn't be more critical as Apple scrambles to catch competitors who've dominated the generative AI landscape.
Apple is making its biggest AI bet yet, and it's happening in your living room. The company's internal roadmap, leaked through Bloomberg's latest investigation, reveals a sweeping pivot into smart home robotics that could finally give the iPhone maker a competitive edge in the generative AI arms race.
The centerpiece of Apple's strategy is a tabletop robot that resembles an iPad mounted on an articulating arm - essentially bringing the Pixar lamp to life in your kitchen. According to Bloomberg's sources, this isn't just concept art anymore. Apple has been secretly testing prototypes that can follow users around rooms, dance on command, and most importantly, serve as the physical manifestation of a completely reimagined Siri.
The AI assistant powering these devices represents Apple's most significant departure from its current voice-only approach. "Apple has tested using an animated take on the Finder logo for Siri, but the company is also apparently thinking about ideas that are more like Memoji," Bloomberg reports. The goal is creating natural conversations rivaling ChatGPT's voice mode - a direct acknowledgment that Apple's current Siri lags behind OpenAI's breakthrough technology.
