Mark Gurman said in the latest Power On newsletter that Apple could launch the Personal Hub smart home display as early as October Bloomberg. The device will serve as a central interface for managing smart home accessories, communicating with family members, viewing content and accessing Apple services.
Image source:macrumors.com
The company is testing two versions of the product, internally codenamed J490 and J491. The first model is suitable for desktop use and comes with a special bracket, the second model is suitable for wall-mounting. Both devices will feature compact, square displays that will have a smaller diagonal than the Amazon Echo Show models.
For this device, Apple has developed an independent operating system with an interface based on iOS, tvOS and watchOS. It will have home screen, widget, and clock design options, and Siri AI will be able to search for information on the device and user accounts, find published songs, podcasts, photos, and perform certain actions within the app.
The built-in camera will be used for video calls and family member identification. After identifying the user, the system will be able to display his meetings, notes, preferences, news and other personal information. At the same time, the depth sensor used in Face ID does not require recognition.
In addition to personalization, the display supports two-way intercom, smart home control and content playback, as well as access to apps such as calendars, notes and reminders. You will need an iPhone for initial setup and operation of some features. Notably, the smart home display will be one of the first major devices launched by new Apple CEO John Ternus.
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