Apple is developing a home robot that may cost $1,000 or more, report says

Apple is developing a home robot for FaceTime calls and smart-home control that could cost $1,000 or more, according to The Information, as relayed by Ars Technica on November 2. Codenamed J595, the project reportedly faces a challenge beyond getting the technology working: giving the device enough useful jobs to justify its potential price.

The effort has a long history. Ars Technica’s account places the earliest prototypes in 2018 and says former CEO Tim Cook approved continued development. Digital Trends describes the project’s starting point as a video-calling device with an arm that could keep its screen facing a person. Both accounts trace those details to The Information.

Digital Trends says executives wanted more AI capabilities, while Ars describes engineers working to move beyond a device primarily useful for FaceTime. Engineers were seeking additional functions that would help support a high selling price.

One person cited by The Information described about 10 robotics specialists and roughly 300 software staff, according to Ars. The account also says many members of the original engineering team have departed over the years, even as software refinement and the addition of AI technologies continued.

Ars describes a device designed to move autonomously around the home and turn lights on when someone enters a room.

Apple is reportedly aiming for a 2027 launch, although development delays could push arrival into 2028. Digital Trends characterizes 2028 as the more likely outcome. It also says the hardware has been finished for about two years, but its suggestion that software is the holdup is an inference, not a confirmed explanation for the schedule.

Branding is tentative too. Ars names HomeView Ultra as a possibility, while Digital Trends adds HomeView Max as another candidate. Neither is confirmed.