Journalist Mark Gurman, known for his interest in Apple products, said that the company is exploring the possibility of entering the personal robot technology market, which should become a new and large-scale project after the cancellation of the electric car development project. Gurman’s sources spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the “secrecy” of the project.

The company set out to create an autonomous robot that could perform household tasks such as washing dishes and monitor the user. But this will require solving complex engineering tasks, and this will take years. According to sources, Apple has already developed an advanced desktop robotic device for the smart display. It is not yet known whether at least one of these projects will be put into mass production, but it is clear that Apple is looking for new sources of income.

Entering the personal robotics market will allow Apple to establish a strong position in people’s homes around the world and benefit from its own advances in artificial intelligence. According to mass media, the company is now in dire need of developing new markets due to pressure from shareholders. The second is concerned about the inability to find new sources of income – existing products do not provide increased income. Apple had been planning to develop a new market with its own electric car for several years, but the project to create it was shut down in February

Sources at Apple say a robotic smart display has been in the works for a few years, but management isn’t sure if it’s worth pursuing. One of the possibilities of such a device could be to imitate the movements of the interlocutor’s head (for example, nodding) during a FaceTime conversation. But the company doubts that people will willingly pay so much for such a device. On the other hand, during the development process, technical problems with balancing the driver arose.

Apple won’t be the first company to try to enter the home robotics market. Amazon launched the Astro home robot in 2021 at a price of $1,600. The company is in no hurry to increase its production, so the device remains a niche product. Last year, Amazon introduced a commercial version of the robot that would work as a security guard.