Tech

Apple reportedly working on an iPad robot, and it’s not as expensive as you might think

Amjad Ali August 18, 2024

0 3 1 minute read

Though Apple’s ventures into new territories might not always be a success — rest in peace, Apple car — recent AI advancements have spurred the company to start work on robotics. Bloomberg’s Apple insider Mark Gurman reports that the company is working on a tabletop robot that will retail for $1,000.This robot, powered by modern AI, will have an iPad for a “face” and an arm as well. If you’ve ever talked to ChatGPT via voice call, you know that modern AI is getting quite good at understanding you. So, if nothing else, I at least think that this robot won’t make as many mistakes as Siri.

Gurman thinks that this robot will debut around 2026 or later, giving Apple plenty of time to catch up with competing AI models. Apple Intelligence is new and hasn’t even rolled out to the public yet, so its capabilities remain untested and unproven.

Apple Intelligence does look quite impressive, though. | Video credit — Apple

Now, an iPad connected to an arm doesn’t sound that cool, personally speaking. This feels more like a proof of concept than a practical consumer product. But Gurman claims this is just the start. Apparently, Apple has its sights set on whatever robotics industry emerges in the future.

The company is allegedly working on a robot that can move around your house. There’s even reports of teams investigating the feasibility of humanoid robots. I don’t think I need to explain why such robots would be a lot more useful, not to mention jaw-dropping marvels of engineering. C-3PO, anyone?

Of course, it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing consumer-level humanoid robots any time soon. We’ll just have to make do with an iPad connected to an arm. Perhaps it can stir my coffee for me in the mornings.

But, just like the Apple Vision Pro, this is going to be a bold step in a new direction from the company, much more so than in-house cellular modems. Though I suppose the latter is more grounded in reality.

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Amjad Ali August 18, 2024

0 3 1 minute read