It would either be placed on a support like a HomePod Mini cut in half, or attached to a wall.
An Apple smart display that would compete with Amazon’s Echo Show or Google’s Nest Hub has been rumored since 2022, but could finally launch soon. Called J490 at Apple, the device is currently being extensively tested in employees’ homes before its release, Bloombergยป reported Mark Gurman last night.
The new device would either be placed on a stand like a HomePod Mini cut in half, or attached to a wall. It will look like an Echo Show with a smaller screen and offer ubiquitous Wi-Fi connectivity, an advanced display, camera, microphones and an interface that looks “like a mashup of iOS, tvOS and watchOS,” Gurman wrote. It would sync with an iPhone for setup and some tasks.
More controversially, it would feature facial recognition through the camera systems to identify who is viewing the screen and personalize content “including apps, notes, calendar appointments, news, music and podcasts,” according to the report. The display will support a home screen, widgets, and clock faces like those in the iPhone Duo’s sleep mode.
The device’s functions will revolve around Siri AI, which finally appeared with iOS 27, allowing you to search for information across multiple devices and accounts. You’ll be able to ask it to do things like play a podcast or song someone recently sent you, search for a particular image, or complete tasks in apps like Calendar and Notes. The device was supposed to arrive as early as 2024, but was reportedly delayed due to issues with Apple Intelligence. There’s still no expected arrival date, but it could arrive later this year based on recent leaks.
In another interesting rumor from Gurman, Apple has reportedly sold a Pencil specifically designed for the dual-screen iPhone Duo. It would have been shorter and magnetic to attach to the hinge of the Duo. However, Apple encountered technical problems before mass production and decided to support the current iPad Apple Pencil. The company plans to support this pencil by the end of 2026.
