According to a new report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple is readying a new iPad accessory that’ll allow customers to dock the tablet and use it as a Google Home Hub-like accessory. Gurman says that the product is slated for release in 2023.
In Gurman’s ‘Power On’ newsletter, he mentions that Apple plans to make a significant push into the home ecosystem. “The idea is to offer something that users can place on a kitchen counter, in the living room, or on their nightstand,” said Gurman. Rather than a whole new product, Apple is considering a Google Home Hub-like accessory that customers can slot their iPad into and have access to a speaker and other features.
In August, we reported that Apple plans to introduce a slew of new home accessories for 2023. Gurman notes that Apple has been testing a new HomePod and four different smart-home accessories.
The report mentions Apple is testing a kitchen device that combines an iPad-style device with a HomePod speaker and a living room device that combines an Apple TV, camera, and HomePod. It seems likely that Apple would release a dock accessory for the iPad while they continue to polish those devices and “make some noise in the smart-home space.”
“Regardless of its ultimate approach, the move would mark one of Apple’s most significant pushes into smart-home devices, expanding on its still small foothold in set-top boxes and speakers,” said Gurman. We hope to see these devices come to market in the near future.
What are your thoughts on an iPad Home Hub dock? Would you buy a HomePod with a display? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter @Appleosophy.
