New CEO John Ternus is said to be pushing a roughly $1,000 robotic smart display that could slip to 2028
Apple is reportedly building a home robot. According to people who worked on Apple’s robotics projects and spoke to The Information, the device could launch in 2027 at a price of $1,000 or more.
The project carries the internal code name J595. Apple has teased the future for years. This time, there is apparently a motorized arm involved.
The push reportedly comes from the top. John Ternus, who took over as CEO from Tim Cook in September 2026, is said to be steering Apple’s robotics work toward a more serious footing.
What the J595 is supposed to do
The pitch is a smart display that does not just sit on the counter waiting for instructions. Ars Technica, summarizing The Information’s reporting, describes a robot built to move around autonomously, support FaceTime calls, and flip on the lights when someone walks into a room.
Other details on the hardware point to a 9-inch screen mounted on a motorized arm. That arm can reportedly rotate a full 360 degrees.
The device reportedly leans on voice recognition, cameras, and a set of sensors. Those components are said to enable features like obstacle avoidance and broader awareness of its surroundings.
A premium sibling to the HomeView
The name would tie the robot to the HomeView, Apple’s new stationary smart display. That product was introduced on October 13, 2026, with a 7-inch screen and a starting price of $299.
The J595 is expected to cost close to $1,000. That works out to more than three times the price of the base HomeView.
The timeline comes with a caveat. The company is reportedly aiming for 2027, but development delays could push the launch to 2028.
Software appears to be the bottleneck. The hardware has reportedly been largely finished for the past two years, while the software side has lagged behind.
Six years in the making
None of this started recently. Work on the J595 reportedly began in 2019, when the device was conceived mainly as a video-calling tool.
Progress in AI changed the brief. The reporting suggests newer capabilities made the project more ambitious, and that ambition contributed to the delays.
Apple has explored a range of robotic concepts over the years. The J595 is described as its most advanced near-term effort in the category.
The renewed focus also follows the cancellation of Apple’s automotive project. That effort consumed years of attention before being shut down, and robotics looks like one place the company is now directing its long-range ambitions.
What this means for Apple and the smart home
The pricing tells you who Apple is targeting. At around $1,000, the HomeView Ultra would not compete with budget smart speakers or cheap displays.
Software is the other big question. If the hardware has been ready for two years and the launch could still slip, the AI layer is clearly the hard part.
For now, everything remains reported rather than announced. The name, the price, and the 2027 target could all change before Apple says anything publicly.
The key signals to track are any updates on the software timeline and whether the 2028 fallback becomes the plan.
