Apple postpones smart home display launch pending new AI and Siri

issued Tuesday, March 10, 2026 · 07:27 AM

[LOS ANGELES] Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) struggles have spilled over into its product plans, forcing the company to postpone development of a smart home display it has been working on for years until later this year, people familiar with the matter said.

The product, codenamed J490, was originally scheduled for spring 2025, but was delayed as the company completed development of its new Siri digital assistant, an integral part of the device’s interface.

Apple had been planning to launch the display this month in hopes of having a new Siri ready, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Another delay in the launch of Siri has caused Apple to once again postpone the launch of its smart home devices.

This predicament highlights the need for Apple to catch up in the AI ​​field. Siri is at the heart of the company’s AI strategy, and many future products will rely on the technology. But Apple has delayed long-promised features, including one that was rolled out to consumers nearly two years ago.

This created a mismatch between the tech giant’s software and hardware plans. The smart display itself took several months to complete. However, the company is currently considering releasing the new Siri around September, when Apple expects it to be finalized.

A spokeswoman for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.

The display looks like a square iPad, can be mounted on a half-dome speaker base or on a wall, and is designed to be the central AI hub of your home. The user interface includes a circular list of app icons arranged similar to the Apple Watch home screen.

The highlight is a facial recognition-based system that can recognize when a person approaches the device. Using that information, the product can display personalized data such as a user’s calendar events, reminders, notes, music, and news preferences.

Apple is also working on a number of other new AI products, including pendants, AirPods with cameras, and smart glasses. These devices are expected after the expected rollout of Siri. This means that it is unlikely to be affected unless there are further development obstacles.

Apple aims to have all new Siri features ready by the time it launches the iPhone 18 Pro in September. The updated Siri will now be able to use your personal data to better perform your queries. Apple is also improving the interface and underlying AI model to make Siri a more modern chatbot.

User data features are especially important as new home devices aim to provide a personalized experience.

Apple is currently planning to launch its smart home displays with version tvOS 27, a version of its TV set-top box operating system scheduled for release in September. Apple’s new home operating system is based on the technology underlying Apple TV.

Until the recent delays with Siri, Apple had planned to run a variation of its current Apple TV software, tvOS 26, on its early home devices. John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, is playing a central role in the smart home initiative, which he believes will be central to the company’s future growth.

Apple had aimed to bring all of Siri’s new features to this year’s software update 26.4, but is currently testing them for the release of 26.5 and 27, Bloomberg News reported.

This smart home display has a 7-inch screen, one USB-C port for power, and a classic Apple silver aluminum case. This will be the first of multiple Apple home devices. A version with 9-inch screens attached to the robot’s limbs is planned for next year. A small home security sensor is also under development.

Apple is also working on a new HomePod without a display and an updated Apple TV set-top box, both of which are associated with new AI features. Apple TV’s hardware hasn’t been updated since 2022, but the software received a new liquid glass interface last year.

The company’s smart home rollout comes years after similar products from Amazon.com, Alphabet’s Google, and others. Still, Apple should be able to leverage its existing product ecosystem. In January, the company announced that its user base had surpassed 2.5 billion.

In recent days, Apple has announced a flurry of other new products, including the iPhone 17e, the low-cost MacBook Neo, the iPad Air, external monitors, and refreshes for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. However, he did not mention the increased efforts on Siri, AI, and smart homes that he was aiming to have by this month. bloomberg