In the quiet competition for the center of the living room, Apple is said to be reimagining what a home device can be — not a single tool, but a convergence of streaming, sound, and human connection. Reports from Bloomberg suggest the company is developing both a television accessory that folds Apple TV, HomePod, and a video camera into one, and a separate smart display to rival Amazon and Google's established offerings. Both efforts remain early and unannounced, yet they reflect a deeper reckoning: Apple's smart home presence has grown dormant, and the world has not waited.
Apple reportedly developing TV device combining Apple TV, HomePod, and video calling camera
Three products in one device, or an experiment that never ships
Mark
So Apple is basically trying to build a Swiss Army knife for your living room?
Mimi
That's one way to see it. They're taking three separate products—Apple TV, HomePod, and a camera—and putting them into one device that sits by your television.
Luke
But we should be clear: this is all reported by Bloomberg. Apple hasn't confirmed any of this exists.
Mimi
Right. And Bloomberg also notes these are early-stage projects. Plans could change, or they might never ship at all.
Mark
Why would Apple do this now? They've been pretty quiet on smart home stuff.
Mimi
They merged their HomePod and Apple TV teams in 2020. That suggests they're taking it more seriously. Plus, Amazon and Google have been eating their lunch with Echo and Nest products that do multiple things.
Luke
Though it's worth noting Apple discontinued the expensive HomePod and is focusing on the mini. That's not exactly a vote of confidence in the category.
Mark
What about the display device—the one with the robotic arm?
Mimi
That's the second project. It's like an Echo Show but with a camera that tracks you around the room, similar to what Amazon did with their 2020 model.
Luke
Again, early stages. We don't know if Apple will actually build this or if it's just an internal experiment.
Mark
When might we see these?
Mimi
Nobody knows. Bloomberg doesn't give a timeline, and Apple hasn't said anything publicly.
Luke
The only concrete hint is some code in recent software updates that suggests a new Apple TV might support 120Hz refresh rates. But that's speculation based on code, not an official announcement.
Le Pouls
- Apple's smart home lineup has quietly aged — the Apple TV untouched since 2017, the full-size HomePod discontinued — while Amazon and Google have steadily claimed the connected living room.
- The proposed TV accessory is an ambitious consolidation, asking consumers to swap out their streaming box, soundbar, and video calling device for a single Apple-branded unit.
- A second device — a screen-based smart speaker with a potential robotic arm that tracks users across a room — signals Apple is willing to experiment boldly to recapture relevance.
- The 2020 merger of Apple's HomePod and Apple TV engineering teams suggests this is not idle exploration but a structural commitment to competing in the smart home space.
- Neither device has been confirmed for release, and Bloomberg cautions that timelines are fluid — Apple's history with smart home hardware is one of high ambition and uneven results.
In the quiet competition for the center of the living room, Apple is said to be reimagining what a home device can be — not a single tool, but a convergence of streaming, sound, and human connection. Reports from Bloomberg suggest the company is developing both a television accessory that folds Apple TV, HomePod, and a video camera into one, and a separate smart display to rival Amazon and Google's established offerings. Both efforts remain early and unannounced, yet they reflect a deeper reckoning: Apple's smart home presence has grown dormant, and the world has not waited.
Apple is reportedly working on two devices that would reshape its presence in the smart home — a television accessory and a standalone smart display — though both remain in early development with no official announcement.
The television accessory is the more ambitious of the two. Plugged into a TV, it would combine the streaming and gaming functions of Apple TV, the audio quality and Siri integration of HomePod, and a built-in camera for video calling — positioning it against both soundbar makers like Roku and Sonos and video calling devices like Facebook's Portal TV. The pitch to consumers would be consolidation: one device instead of many.
The second project takes a different form — a screen-based speaker closer in spirit to an iPad fused with a HomePod, designed to compete with Amazon's Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub. Bloomberg reports Apple has explored equipping it with a robotic arm that rotates the display to follow users around a room, a feature Amazon introduced in its own Echo Show in 2020.
The backdrop to both projects is a company playing catch-up. Apple merged its HomePod and Apple TV engineering teams in 2020, a quiet but telling structural shift. The Apple TV has gone without a hardware update since 2017, and the full-size HomePod was discontinued earlier this year in favor of the more affordable mini. Code in recent software updates hints at a new Apple TV with 120Hz support, though nothing is confirmed.
Whether either device reaches consumers remains genuinely uncertain. Apple's smart home ambitions have historically outpaced their market results — the original HomePod launched with fanfare but never found its footing. The question of whether a device that tries to do everything can succeed where more focused products have struggled is one Apple has not yet answered.
Apple is working on a television accessory that would merge three of its product lines into a single device: the streaming capabilities of Apple TV, the speaker and voice assistant of HomePod, and a camera for video calls. The company is also developing a separate smart display with a screen, similar to Amazon's Echo Show or Google's Nest Hub. Both projects are in early stages, according to reporting from Bloomberg, and neither has been officially announced.
The television accessory would be a notably ambitious piece of hardware. Connected to a TV, it would deliver the games and streaming services that Apple TV currently offers, while its built-in speaker would aim to outperform the audio quality of most television sets—a feature that puts it in direct competition with soundbar makers like Roku and Sonos. The device would also support HomePod's music playback and Siri voice controls, and the integrated camera would enable video calling, much like Facebook's Portal TV. In effect, Apple would be asking consumers to replace multiple devices with one.
The second device takes a different approach to the same problem of consolidating Apple's smart home offerings. This display-based speaker would combine features of an iPad with the capabilities of a HomePod, creating a competitor to the Echo Show and Nest Hub. According to Bloomberg's reporting, Apple has explored adding a robotic arm to the device that would rotate the display and track users as they move around a room—a feature Amazon introduced in its 2020 Echo Show model.
These two projects signal a shift in Apple's approach to smart home hardware. The company merged its HomePod and Apple TV engineering teams in 2020, a structural change that suggests a more coordinated effort to compete in a market where Amazon and Google have moved aggressively. Apple's smart home lineup has grown stale. The Apple TV hardware hasn't been updated since 2017. Earlier this year, Apple discontinued its high-end HomePod entirely, pivoting instead to the more affordable HomePod mini. Code discovered in recent software updates hints that a new Apple TV model might support 120Hz refresh rates, though nothing has been confirmed.
What remains unclear is whether Apple will actually ship either of these devices, or whether they will remain internal experiments. Bloomberg notes that development timelines are fluid and plans are subject to change. The company has a mixed track record with ambitious smart home hardware—the HomePod launched to considerable fanfare in 2017 but never achieved the market penetration Apple hoped for, while the Apple TV has remained a niche product in a streaming market dominated by cheaper alternatives. Whether a device that tries to do everything will succeed where focused products have struggled is an open question.
Citations marquantes
Development of both devices is said to be in its early stages, with plans subject to change.— Bloomberg reporting
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