Apple’s recently introduced HomeView smart display offers a clear preview of a more advanced future version equipped with a motorized robotic arm, according to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter. The higher-end model, internally code-named J595, is planned for release in 2027 or 2028. It retains the overall look of the current device but expands the screen to roughly 9 inches from the existing 7-inch display and adds a robotic arm that can swivel the screen a full 360 degrees.
Using voice recognition, the machine is designed to identify who is speaking and automatically turn toward that person, addressing a common complaint about the fixed current HomeView that requires users to manually reposition it in multi-person settings. This version is positioned as a premium addition to the lineup rather than a direct replacement for the $299 model, which is set for broader availability on November 13 after units reportedly sat in warehouses for months.
Separately, Apple is preparing a retail store reset for November 6, a move that points to the potential on-sale date for new Macs and possibly an updated iPad mini, Gurman reports. Store resets of this kind typically involve new signage and demo products and often align with product launches roughly a week after an introduction. The timing fits into a busy fall schedule that also includes the iPhone Duo on October 23, the HomePod mini 2 on October 30, and the HomeView plus a new Apple TV 4K on November 13. Earlier details from Gurman have pointed to OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro models and an OLED iPad mini among the expected updates.
The newsletter also addresses the chaotic start of iPhone Duo preorders, which Gurman described as a major mistake and an absolute disaster. Despite knowing of severe supply constraints stemming from manufacturing challenges, Apple opened preorders widely across more than 70 countries rather than limiting the initial launch to the U.S. and China as originally planned. Shipping estimates quickly slipped from the October 23 availability date to late January for most configurations, disappointing early adopters. Gurman notes that the company appeared to prioritize getting the foldable device onto the market early in its fiscal first quarter over fully meeting demand, and that the resulting shortage could ultimately help drive sales of the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.
MacDailyNews Take: A halo product is a high-end, premium, or scarce flagship item that boosts brand perception, generates buzz, and lifts sales of more accessible or lower-cost products in the same lineup. The expensive/scarce item creates aspirational appeal and draws attention; when many people can’t (or won’t) buy it, demand often cascades down to the next-best, more available option.
So, the high-priced, supply-constrained Duo functions as the halo product whose hype and pronounced shortage to help drive iPhone 18 Pro sales. This is a common strategy in consumer electronics, luxury goods, and product-line pricing.
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The halo has to be within reach though, people have to see it in the wild too. If Apple really was only producing a few hundred units a day as of August it is really looking like a blunder that they made the Duo so widely available when supply was so wildly out of balance from demand. In typical Apple fashion I expect they’ll put as many resources as they can into ramping production and the late January shipping dates will contract but we’ll be heavily supply constrained through Christmas.
I goofed by clicking on the pickup options (they were all gone by then) instead of just placing the order for delivery immediately and instead of Nov. 2-9 i’m looking at Nov. 9-16, not too bad in comparison to most other preorders. I ordered two others right away for family members which are coming between late Nov. and mid Dec.