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Cailianshe News, August 15 (Editor: Ma Lan)Apple plans to make more innovations in tablet computers, and according to veteran technology reporter Mark Gurman, Apple is also working on a new desktop device.

It is reported that an Apple team of hundreds of people is studying how to install an iPad-style display on a robotic arm so that the screen can be tilted up and down and rotated 360 degrees.

The device, which could debut as early as 2026, would allow users to manage smart home products, monitor home security, make video calls, and more.

The device currently runs on a branch of iPadOs and is seen as a medium for utilizing Apple's artificial intelligence tools in the future, with Siri and Apple Intelligence becoming the main control methods for the device. A crude use case is that the device can follow user commands and turn the display to face the user.

Sources say Apple's ambition is to sell the device for around $1,000 and position it as a desk robot.

Uncertain future

The project is rumored to have been launched in 2022, but because Apple has been committed to developing electric vehicles in the past and has invested billions of dollars in car manufacturing, this so-called "desk robot" has been in a state of lack of money and people until recently.

The desktop device could also represent a break from Apple's efforts on other projects, which are now being led by Kevin Lynch, Apple's vice president of technology, who is also in charge of Apple's car project, smartwatch and health software.

But there are concerns about whether the device can really gain a foothold in the market. Given that Apple already has a stable share in the tablet market, the device currently does not seem to have a huge impact and drive new consumers into the market. In addition, the pricing of the desktop device may also affect demand.

Still, the device is part of Apple's attempt to diversify its product line, which also includes products such as smart glasses, headphones with built-in cameras, and foldable iPhones and iPads.

This is also closely related to Apple's desire to reduce its dependence on the smartphone business. iPhone revenue still accounts for about half of Apple's revenue, and the weak demand for mobile phones in the past few quarters has directly hit Apple's performance, which may force Apple to make more preparations.