Apple has delayed the release of a new AI device because of 'stupid' Siri. What to expect?

Apple for the second time postponed the release of a smart home screen with artificial intelligence, but still wants to release it this year, sources told Bloomberg. The problem is not in the device itself, but in the unreadiness of the voice assistant Siri - a key element of the interface of this gadget, the agency's interlocutors explained. The company has so far failed to fully integrate Google's AI into Siri.

Codenamed J490, Apple had planned to release the device back in the spring of 2025, but the launch was delayed so that the company could have time to finalize a new version of its Siri voice assistant. Apple then expected to unveil the screen this month, assuming the new Siri would be ready by then, according to Bloomberg's interlocutors. But the development of the AI-smartened Siri was delayed again, and now the release of Apple's home device has been postponed for the second time.

This situation shows how important it is for Apple to catch up in the field of artificial intelligence, notes Bloomberg. Siri is central to its AI strategy, and many of the company's future products are tied to this technology. However, Apple has already repeatedly postponed features promised to users, including those that were announced two years ago.

Because of this, the plans of the hardware and software divisions of the company began to diverge. The smart screen itself has been ready for several months. But now Apple expects to release it around September, by which time the company hopes to finally complete work on the new Siri.

Apple declined to comment to Bloomberg.

The screen, which looks like a square iPad, can be mounted either on a hemispherical base with a built-in speaker or mounted on a wall. It is envisioned as a central home hub for AI services, Bloomberg writes. The interface includes a list of circular app icons arranged in a similar fashion to the Apple Watch home screen. Apple plans to release the smart home screen on a modified version of tvOS 27, the operating system for the Apple TV set-top box, which is scheduled for release in September. Apple's new home OS is built on the Apple TV's technology base.

The main feature of the device is the facial recognition system, which determines who exactly approached the screen. Based on this, it will be able to display personalized information: calendar events, reminders, notes, music preferences and news according to the user's interests.

The company's new development will have a 7-inch screen, a single USB-C port for power and Apple's classic silver aluminum body, Bloomberg writes. This will be the first of several Apple home devices. A version with a 9-inch screen attached to a robotic arm is planned for next year. A small home security sensor is also in development.

Apple is entering the smart home device market several years after Amazon, Google and others launched similar products. But Apple still has an important advantage: it can build on the existing ecosystem of its devices, emphasizes Bloomberg. In January, the company reported that the number of active devices in its user base exceeded 2.5 billion.

The company expects to have all the new Siri features ready by the time the iPhone 18 Pro is released in September. The updated Siri will be able to use users' personal data to more accurately answer queries. Apple is redesigning both the assistant's interface and Siri's underlying AI models to make it more similar to a modern chatbot, Bloomberg writes.

Before the recent Siri-related delays, the company was going to launch the first home devices on a variant of tvOS 26, the current version of Apple TV software. Apple had previously expected to have all new Siri features ready for the 26.4 update as early as this year, but is now testing them for versions 26.5 and 27, Bloomberg writes.

Apple has unveiled a slew of new products in recent days, including the iPhone 17e, the low-cost MacBook Neo, the iPad Air, external monitors, and updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. But the company said nothing about any news related to Siri, AI or smart home development, although it had previously expected to share such updates by this month, Bloomberg notes.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor