2028: Apple's Home Robot Delay Could Push Price Past $1,000

Apple's rumored tabletop home robot, internally code-named J595, may not reach shelves until 2027 or 2028, according to a report from The Information cited by The Verge. The device's hardware has reportedly been finished for roughly two years, but unfinished software has pushed the timeline back, and the eventual price could top $1,000.

9 Inches, One Robotic Arm: What Does the Robot Actually Do?

The device is expected to carry a 9-inch display mounted on a robotic arm that swivels to track a user around a room, The Information reports, as relayed by The Verge. Cameras and sensors built into the arm are designed to let the display follow a person during a FaceTime call, a feature Apple's software team has reportedly prioritized as the core function of the product. Former Apple employees cited in the reporting expect the device to be branded the "HomeView Ultra," following the HomeView smart display Apple launched last month.

$1,000 or More: Why Does It Cost So Much?

The Information puts the likely retail price at around $1,000, potentially higher depending on cost increases for RAM and other components, The Verge reports. That would place the robot well above the standard HomeView display in Apple's home lineup, reflecting the added cost of the robotic arm, swivel mechanism, and camera array needed for its signature FaceTime-tracking feature.

2 Years of Finished Hardware: What's the Holdup?

According to The Information's reporting, the robot's hardware "has been finished for around two years," but Apple's software has not caught up. The device's software team has pushed to delay the launch and has worked to narrow the product's scope, according to the report.

The software team "attempted to strip back some proposed features and focus the product on a few capabilities related to FaceTime and automating home tasks, like switching on a light," The Information reported, as cited by The Verge.

That narrower focus — FaceTime tracking and basic home automation such as flipping a light switch — suggests Apple engineers are trying to ship a working product rather than wait for a fuller feature set to mature.

2024 to 2028: How Long Has This Project Been in the Works?

The robot's development timeline now stretches across several years, based on public reporting to date:

• 2024 — Bloomberg's Mark Gurman first reported Apple was developing a stationary, tabletop home robot with a design some compared to Pixar's animated lamp character, as noted in The Verge's writeup.
• Roughly 2024 — Hardware for the device, internally labeled J595, was essentially finished, according to The Information's account relayed by The Verge.
• November 2026 — The Information reports the software remains unfinished, with Apple's software team pushing for a delay and a reduced feature set.
• 2027 or 2028 — The earliest plausible launch window cited in the report, contingent on Apple's software team closing the gap between the finished hardware and a shippable product.

The gap between a hardware-ready device in 2024 and a potential 2028 release underscores how much of the project's remaining risk sits in software rather than industrial design.

J595: What Will Apple Actually Call It?

Apple has not confirmed a name for the device, but former employees cited by The Information expect it to carry the HomeView Ultra branding, tying it to the HomeView smart display Apple released last month, according to The Verge's report. Apple has not issued a public statement on the robot, its pricing, or its release date, and the company did not comment in the sourced reporting.

For now, the project remains unannounced and unconfirmed by Apple itself. The $1,000-plus price estimate, the two-year hardware lag, and the 2027-to-2028 launch window all originate from The Information's sourcing, as reported by The Verge, and have not been verified through Apple's own communications or regulatory filings.

Pixar's Lamp or Something New: How Does the Design Compare?

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman first flagged the robot's tabletop form factor in 2024, describing a stationary design some observers likened to Pixar's animated lamp character, according to The Verge. That comparison has stuck in subsequent coverage, though The Information's newer reporting focuses less on the robot's physical resemblance to the lamp and more on its swiveling arm, 9-inch display, and camera array — details that suggest the final design may diverge from the earlier lamp-style concept as Apple's engineers worked to finalize the hardware.