Apple Unveils Smart Home Hub Amid Growing IoT Market
Apple is set to make a major push into the smart home market, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The company plans to unveil a new smart home hub at an upcoming event, which will be powered by its revamped Siri AI platform.
The hub could be placed on a countertop or mounted on a wall and features an optional stand. A premium version may include a robotic arm for 360-degree screen rotation, making it easier for users to interact with the device from different parts of a room.
This move could open up another growth opportunity for Apple, as consumers already use its devices to manage connected-home products. The number of connected IoT devices is expected to reach 39 billion in 2030 and more than 50 billion by 2035, according to IoT analytics.
Apple will be entering a market where Amazon and Google already have a strong presence, but it has one major advantage: its tightly connected hardware and software ecosystem. If the new hub can seamlessly link Apple devices, it could give consumers another reason to stay within the company's ecosystem.