Apple looks to expand smart home line-up to take on Amazon, Google

(Image Courtesy: Apple)

Apple is working on a slate of new smart home products to take on rivals Amazon and Google.

According to a Bloomberg report, the Cupertino-based technology giant is eyeing the smart home market and is building new products for a major push into the space. These include new displays, set-top boxes and smart speakers.

The line-up will start with a new tablet-class product, which will like an a low-end iPad, meant to act as a smart hub for home that can control devices like thermostats, lights or other Internet of Things (IoT) accessories.

This smart display can be mounted to a wall or even a metal surface using magnets. This product will go up against Amazon's Echo Show devices and Google's Nest Hub.

According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Apple is also discussing the possibility of a larger smart-home display internally.

It has also updated the HomePod with a second-generation device that can not only playback music but also control thermostats, has a built-in humidity sensor and can listen for alarms.

Besides smart-home displays and speakers, Apple is also working on a revamped TV setup box. The company last updated the Apple TV 4K box with a new A15 bionic chip in October 2022.

While the tech firm has been hard at work at its Apple TV subscription and hardware, it holds only about 6 percent of the market in the US when it comes to streaming services, and has a 5 percent share in the streaming hardware market.

Bloomberg said that work on an all-in-one device that combines the TV box and smart speaker along with a camera for FaceTime has been delayed. It was initially targeted for this year but won't be seen until some time.