Apple delays smart home display launch for AI and Siri upgrade

Apple's AI Challenges Delay Smart Home Display Launch

Apple Inc. is facing significant challenges in its artificial intelligence (AI) development, which have led to delays in the launch of its long-anticipated smart home display. The product, code-named J490, was initially scheduled for release in spring 2025 but has now been pushed back to later this year. This delay is primarily due to ongoing work on a new version of its digital assistant, Siri, which is a critical component of the device’s interface.

The smart home display was expected to be released this month, coinciding with the anticipated completion of the updated Siri. However, with further delays in the development of the new Siri, Apple has decided to postpone the device once again. This situation highlights the company’s struggle to keep up with advancements in AI, as Siri plays a central role in Apple’s AI strategy. Many future products rely on this technology, yet Apple has repeatedly pushed back on promised features that were unveiled nearly two years ago.

This misalignment between software and hardware plans has created internal challenges within the company. While the smart home display itself has been completed for several months, Apple is now aiming for a September release, when it expects the new Siri to be finalized. A spokesperson for Apple declined to comment on the matter.

The smart home display resembles a square iPad and can be mounted on a half-domed-shaped speaker base or attached to a wall. It serves as a central AI hub for the home, featuring a user interface with circular app icons similar to the Apple Watch’s home screen. One of its key features is a facial recognition system that can identify users when they approach the device. This capability allows the display to show personalized data such as calendar appointments, reminders, notes, music preferences, and news updates.

Apple is also working on several other AI-powered products, including a pendant, camera-equipped AirPods, and smart glasses. These devices are set to launch after the rollout of the new Siri, meaning they are unlikely to be affected unless there are additional development issues.

Apple aims to have all new Siri features ready by the time it launches the iPhone 18 Pro in September. The updated Siri will be able to access user data to better respond to queries. The company is also overhauling the interface and underlying AI models to make Siri more like a modern chatbot. These user data features are especially important for the smart home display, as it is designed to provide a personalized experience.

The smart home display is planned to launch with a variation of tvOS 27, a version of its TV set-top box operating system slated for release in September. Apple’s new home operating system is based on the underlying technology found in the Apple TV. Prior to the recent delays caused by Siri, Apple had intended for the initial home devices to run a variation of tvOS 26, the current Apple TV software.

John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, has been heavily involved in the smart home efforts and views them as crucial to the company’s future growth.

Apple had originally aimed for all new Siri features to be ready for its 26.4 software update this year, but is now testing them for the 26.5 and 27 releases. The smart home display features a 7-inch screen, a single USB-C port for power, and the classic Apple silver aluminum casing. It will be the first of multiple Apple home devices. A version with a 9-inch screen attached to a robotic limb is planned for next year, along with a small home security sensor.

Apple has also been working on a new HomePod without a display and an updated Apple TV set-top box, both tied to new AI features. The Apple TV hardware hasn’t been updated since 2022, although its software received the new Liquid Glass interface last year.

Apple’s smart home rollout has come several years after similar products from competitors like Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. However, the company still has the potential to capitalize on its existing product ecosystem. In January, Apple reported that its user base has surpassed 2.5 billion.

In recent days, Apple has launched a range of new products, including the iPhone 17e, a low-cost MacBook Neo, an iPad Air, external monitors, and refreshes to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. However, the company did not discuss any enhancements to its Siri, AI, or smart home efforts—something it had previously aimed to address by this month.