Apple Considering Robots as New Opportunity for Growth

Apple is reportedly considering entering the personal robotics market.

The company is exploring projects in this field as it looks for new opportunities for growth after ending its electric vehicle project, Bloomberg reported Wednesday (April 3).

One project is a mobile robot for use in homes, while another is a tabletop device with a display that can be moved with robotics, according to the report.

Both projects are in the early stages, neither has seen a commitment by Apple, and neither may be produced, the report said. The display has been on and off the company’s product road map for years.

Apple did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

The company told executives earlier that its future is focused on automotive, the home and mixed reality, according to the report.

With the electric vehicle effort canceled and the Vision Pro launched in the mixed reality space, that leaves the smart home market, the report said.

Few products have the growth potential of a $100,000 car or the Steve Jobs era iPhone, which accounts for about 52% of Apple’s sales, per the report.

An effort in robotics could be aided by the interest in artificial intelligence (AI), as Apple researchers are already working on algorithms that would help robots navigate homes, according to the report.

Apple is advertising for robotics-related roles, saying, “Our team works at the intersection of modern machine learning and robotics to shape the AI that will power the next generation of Apple products,” per the report.

PYMNTS Intelligence has found that the average consumer now owns six smart home devices, with millennials and bridge millennials leading the way with an average of seven devices each.

There has also been a consistent rise in the adoption of smart home devices and connected appliances, according to “Multitasking Consumers Want to Shop — and Work — at The Same Time.”

Elsewhere in the robotics space, Amazon said in January that it called off its $1.7 billion purchase of robot vacuum maker iRobot due to a tough regulatory environment.

Amazon announced its intention to buy iRobot in August 2022, saying that the company’s robots let consumers spend time doing what they want rather than chores.