Apple plans to follow Google and offer a dock that turns the iPad into a smart display
During the launch of the Pixel 7 series earlier this month,
Google has announced that it will release a charging speaker charger for the Pixel tablet, which will be released sometime next year. The dock will not only wirelessly charge the tablet, but also turn it into a smart display with the ability to control your smart home devices. According to Bloomberg
Mark GurmanApple is considering something similar for the iPad.
Gurman says such a device could be ready to ship in 2023, which would be the same year Google plans to release the Pixel Tablet and the aforementioned dock. He writes that Apple’s original plan was to create a new device that combined the attributes of the iPad with a speaker-like smart base. Users would place this new device in the kitchen, on the bedside table or in the living room.
Apple is reportedly working on a docking station that will turn the iPad into a smart display
instead of that,
Apple is considering offering the dock as a separate accessory that would be sold to iPad owners and would also turn the iPad into a smart display that would also control smart devices in the home. Apple’s share of the smart home market is small compared to Google’s slice of the smart home pie, but such an addition could help Apple gain a bigger foothold in this market.
Speaking of smart speakers, Gurman also said that Apple continues to work on a new version of the HomePod that will be larger than the current HomePod mini, but likely smaller than the original HomePod. The latter was considered too expensive by consumers in a market where Amazon and Google are the biggest names in the US. HomePod’s launch price in the US was $349 and was eventually reduced by $50 to $299.
Apple is expected to introduce new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models later this month, along with the next version of its flagship tablet, the iPad 10. It’s too early to determine which iPad models will be compatible with the dock and whether will work with tablets released before 2023. In addition to allowing users to control their smart home devices via a connected iPad, such an accessory could also allow users to make FaceTime calls using Center Stage to put themselves and others in front of the camera, within the frame even and when moving.
Meta Portal smart displays have features like Center Stage that uses an AI-based smart camera to keep all the action within the frame.
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