Apple's rumored smart home display could be a cross between an iMac G4 and a HomePod

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Amazon Echo Show 10
Apple's smart location instrumentality is expected to characteristic a surface mounted connected a speaker, overmuch for illustration nan Amazon Echo Show. (Image credit: Amazon)

  • Reports propose Apple is making caller devices for your smart location
  • One instrumentality could get a creation constituent from nan iMac G4
  • A 2nd merchandise whitethorn person a surface mounted connected a moving “robotic limb”

Rumors person swirled for a fewer months that Apple is moving connected a new smart location device that will harvester 1 of nan best smart displays pinch a guidelines containing a speaker. Now, caller specifications person surfaced, and it looks for illustration this instrumentality could beryllium very reminiscent of a classical Mac creation from complete 20 years ago.

That’s because Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has claimed successful his latest Power On newsletter that not only is Apple making advancement pinch this device, but that it will incorporated a creation that bears striking similarities to nan iMac G4 from 2002.

This machine featured a surface attached to a moveable arm, pinch nan full setup mounted connected a rounded base.

As for nan smart location device, Gurman says that its surface is “positioned astatine an perspective connected a mini base, making it reminiscent of nan information bottommost of nan iMac G4 from a mates of decades ago.”

A 'HomePod pinch a screen'

The iMac G4 against a achromatic background.

The information guidelines of nan iMac G4 could reappear successful Apple's smart location device. (Image credit: Apple)

However, earlier we get excessively carried distant that Apple is bringing backmost a cherished creation of yesteryear, location are seemingly immoderate notable differences betwixt nan 2 products’ designs.

For 1 thing, Gurman seems to beryllium describing a surface that is fixed onto its base, alternatively than being a moveable surface connected nan extremity of an articulated limb of nan benignant that nan iMac G4 was celebrated for. As good arsenic that, Gurman likens nan instrumentality to a “HomePod pinch a screen,” which doesn’t sound overmuch for illustration nan iMac G4.

That said, Gurman besides says that Apple is moving connected a second, much costly location instrumentality that could beryllium a batch person successful quality to Apple’s classical Mac. This product, Gurman says, will person a larger surface that is “controlled via a robotic limb,” which sounds very akin to nan show recovered connected nan iMac G4. But Gurman doesn’t mention a guidelines for this device, which suggests it could beryllium designed much for video conferencing.

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Both devices are designed to beryllium utilized to power smart location accessories, behaviour video calls and watch movies and TV shows. The first instrumentality – nan 1 pinch nan iMac G4-style guidelines – should motorboat adjacent year, Gurman says. The 2nd merchandise will travel successful 2026, meanwhile, and will costs astir $1,000 (about £770 / AU$1,500). If they beryllium to beryllium successful, some could thief return Apple successful a caller guidance and summation a stronger foothold successful nan smart location world.

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Alex Blake has been fooling astir pinch computers since nan early 1990s, and since that clip he's learned a point aliases 2 astir tech. No much than 2 things, though. That's each his encephalon tin hold. As good arsenic TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was antecedently commissioning editor astatine MacFormat magazine. That intends he mostly covers nan world of Apple and its latest products, but besides Windows, machine peripherals, mobile apps, and overmuch much beyond. When not writing, you tin find him hiking nan English countryside and gaming connected his PC.

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