According to reports, Apple will release a slew of smart home devices in the near future to compete directly with Google and Amazon. Among them is a smart display device that will compete with Amazon’s Echo Show and Google Nest. Even though it’s called the “All-new” HomePod, many of the speaker’s features are the same as the original generation model, released in 2018.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is developing a smart display that would use a low-end iPad. In addition to making FaceTime calls, the display would be able to control smart home devices, such as lights, thermostats, and locks. A magnetic fastener would be used to attach the screen to a wall or anywhere around the house. As a result, it would differ from a typical iPad tablet.
In a Bloomberg article, Gurman explained that the smart display’s capabilities will be more limited than those of the iPad. In addition to FaceTime chats, it will be used to control other smart home appliances.
Now, Apple does have a major disadvantage compared to Google and Amazon for smart speakers and smart displays. There is even a name for that problem: Siri. Both Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa perform better than Apple’s virtual digital assistant. If Apple hopes to compete with Google and Amazon with a smart display, it will have to work on Siri first.
Take this information with a grain of salt though since nothing has been confirmed yet. In any case, if it turns out to be true, then that would definitely be good news, as more competition is always better for consumers.