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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Amanda Caswell

Apple plans home robot invasion with lifelike Siri that 'injects itself into conversations' — and there's a lot more devices

Tim Cook at an Apple event.

After years of playing catch-up in the AI race, Apple is mounting a full-scale smart home offensive, and it’s all powered by a reimagined, more lifelike version of Siri. According to a new Bloomberg report, Apple is planning a wave of AI-infused hardware and software upgrade.

The Apple product roadmap reportedly includes a 6-inch smart display, a futuristic robot companion and even a smart security camera; all aimed at turning your home into Siri’s new command center. Look out, Alexa+, you may have some real competition now.

  • Overhauled Siri: More conversational, expressive and context-aware
  • Smart home display: A six-inch hub for controlling devices, running Apple Intelligence and managing HomeKit.
  • Siri-powered robot: A motorized tabletop assistant with movement tracking and expressive animations.
  • Smart security camera (2026): AI-enhanced monitoring with facial recognition, smart alerts and deep Siri integration.

A Siri-powered robot is in the works

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Apple is reportedly developing a tabletop robot, and it’s aiming for Pixar-level charm. Described as a motorized, lamp-like device that can swivel, track your movements and even dance, the robot would be powered by Apple Intelligence and the upgraded Siri. It’s still a few years away (2027 is the target), but this could become Apple’s most ambitious hardware project since the original iPhone.

A smart display hub is coming

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A big piece of Apple’s smart home revamp could arrive as soon as next year: a six-inch smart display designed to act as a central hub. Think of it as Apple’s answer to the Echo Show or Google Nest Hub, but with tight integration into Apple Intelligence, Siri and HomeKit.

Mounted on the wall or placed on a table, it will serve as your home’s mission control for voice commands, visuals and smart device management.

Watch out, Ring: Smart security camera expected in 2026

(Image credit: Ring)

Apple is also planning to enter the home security market with a smart camera that’s deeply integrated with its ecosystem. Set for a 2026 launch, the camera would reportedly work with Siri for voice control and utilize AI for smart notifications, facial recognition, and more, all while maintaining Apple’s privacy-first approach at its core.

A big upgrade for Siri

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)

Siri is getting a major upgrade. Apple is reportedly overhauling Siri to make the assistant more conversational, expressive and intelligent; something critics have long demanded.

The company is now working with partners like ChatGPT's OpenAI and Claude's Anthropic to bring next-gen AI to its voice assistant. The overall aim is for a more lifelike Siri that can understand nuance, follow context and interact more naturally, perhaps finally catching up to competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini.

Why this matters

As iPhone sales flatten and AI heats up, Apple is making a bold play to lock users into a smarter, more connected ecosystem. These new devices would move Siri from a phone-based assistant to the core of your household, with a personality to match.

Still, Apple is entering a market where Amazon and Google have a major head start. Whether users embrace a motorized Siri or trust Apple to monitor their homes will depend on how well these products actually work, and how natural Siri really feels after the upgrade.

Apple is finally entering the AI game by rebooting its entire smart home strategy. If the company can deliver on its lifelike AI promises, this could be the beginning of a new era of AI-powered living rooms.

But after years of missed opportunities, the pressure is on to get it right.

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