After a report revealing that Apple has ramped up work on a robot, most likely an iPad-like tablet with robotic arms and a speaker, it seems Foxconn could be responsible for manufacturing this product. According to Taiwan’s United Daily News (via MacRumors), the Hongzhun factory in Taiwan will play a “critical role” in developing this device.
This factory belongs to Foxconn. At this year’s shareholder meeting, the company announced it will invest capital in new target areas, including robots and AI. With that, the company could be responsible for developing the mechanical parts and chassis of Appel’s desktop robot.
With previous experience with Foxconn’s own robot, this could be a great business opportunity for this factory to be the key supply chain for Apple’s upcoming robot devices.
Previously, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported that this Apple robot will feature a large, iPad-like display mounted on a “thin robotic arm.” It tilts and rotates a full 360º, serving as a “smart home command center,” a hub for FaceTime calls, and a home security monitoring tool.
With a focus on Apple Intelligence and Siri, this device would recognize different voices in the house and perform a Center Stage-like feature to face users in the room whenever they speak to it.
While Apple has been working on robotic home devices for some time now, Gurman says Apple has put Kevin Lynch, the company’s VP of technology, in charge of this project. Several hundred people are reportedly working on the device.
With a possible release date between 2026 and 2027, Apple aims at the high-end market, as this iPad-like robotic home device would cost around $1,000. At this moment, the first Apple home robot runs a modified version of iPadOS, but other details are unclear.
BGR will keep following the latest details on this future product as we learn more about it.
