Apple is reportedly working on a docking accessory for the iPad
Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman published on Saturday about the new iPad models coming this month, along with the new generation of MacBook Pros that will be introduced later this year. However, the journalist also revealed Apple’s plans to launch a new iPad docking station in 2023.
iPad docking accessory for the home
In his “Power On” newsletter, Gurman said Apple wants to further promote the iPad as a home accessory. Last year, a journalist reported that the company was working on a new product category that combines Apple TV, iPad and HomePod functions in one device. The idea would be to create something that could compete with home devices like the Amazon Echo Show.
While today Bloomberg The report claims that Apple is still exploring the idea of combining an iPad with a speaker hub, and it also says that the company now has another card up its sleeve to do so.
According to Gurman, Apple has also developed prototypes for an iPad docking station that would provide a similar experience, but without the need to create a product that can only stay in one place at home. Instead, users can simply attach their iPad to an accessory for a home hub experience. It would work pretty similar to Google recently introduced a charging speaker dock for the Pixel tablet.
Since creating entire new products from scratch can take a very long time, the iPad could be the company’s best bet in “making noise in the smart home space,” the report added. The journalist heard from a source that the new addition could be introduced “as early as 2023”.
A strong domestic strategy to compete with Amazon
Amazon is known for offering a variety of smart home accessories, including various Echo devices with built-in Alexa virtual assistant. Apple has Apple TV and HomePod, which aren’t exactly hits. When it comes to the HomePod, the company has discontinued the original model in favor of the more affordable HomePod mini.
Gurman’s report states that Apple is still working on a new HomePod model that is larger than the mini version. Earlier this year, 9to5Mac found references to an unreleased HomePod model in the iOS 16 beta code, which confirms these rumors.
All this combined with the idea of a home hub plus HomeKit and the launch of the Matter standard show that Apple really wants to have a strong home product strategy to compete with Amazon, Google and other companies.
FTC: We use auto affiliate links to earn income. More.
#Apple #reportedly #working #docking #accessory #iPad
