Siri’s biggest makeover yet could debut inside Apple’s 2027 tabletop robot

Apple plans to launch a tabletop robot with a conversational Siri assistant by 2027, as part of an ambitious push into artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart home devices aimed at catching up in the AI race.

The centerpiece device resembles an iPad mounted on a movable arm that can follow users around rooms and engage in natural conversations. Apple is also developing smart displays, home security cameras, and other robots as it seeks to diversify revenue beyond its flagship iPhone.

“The product pipeline — which I can’t talk about — it’s amazing, guys. It’s amazing,” CEO Tim Cook told employees in an all-hands meeting this month. “Some of it you’ll see soon. Some of it will come later. But there’s a lot to see.”

The tabletop robot we first heard being tested in February, codenamed J595, will feature a completely redesigned Siri powered by large language models. Apple has tested making Siri look like an animated version of the Finder logo, the iconic smiley face representing the Mac’s file management system. The company is also considering designs closer to Memoji characters.

This new Siri will be able to interrupt conversations between people to offer suggestions, such as recommending nearby restaurants during dinner planning discussions. The idea is for the device to act like a person in a room, engaging in back-and-forth conversations similar to ChatGPT’s voice mode.

Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, hinted at a bigger-than-anticipated overhaul in an internal meeting with employees this month. “The work we’ve done on this end-to-end revamp of Siri has given us the results we needed,” he said.

Apple will first release a smart display by mid-2026, which lacks the robotic arm but includes home control, music playback, and videoconferencing features. The device resembles a Google Nest Hub but is shaped like a square, with thin black or white bezels and rounded corners.

Both devices will run a new operating system called Charismatic, designed for multiple users. They include a front-facing camera that can scan users’ faces as they walk toward it and then automatically change the layout, features, and content to the preferences of that person.

Apple’s push into robotics comes as it faces pressure to find new revenue sources after years of slowing iPhone growth. The company also nixed some expansions into new areas, like self-driving cars, adding pressure to find other sources of revenue.

Apple is also developing automated security cameras. The device has facial recognition and infrared sensors to determine who is in a room. The cameras could automatically turn lights off when someone leaves a room or play music preferred by specific family members.

Apple shares rose nearly 2% Wednesday after Bloomberg reported the plans. The company is also exploring wheeled robots similar to Amazon’s Astro and has discussed humanoid models internally.