Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported today that Apple will enter the smart home camera market in 2026, with the company seemingly set to compete against third-party HomeKit cameras like the Eve Indoor Cam for the first time.
The IP camera is targeted to hit annual shipments in the tens of millions, indicating Apple hopes this will become a major accessory in its product lineup. Kuo says the appeal of Apple’s camera will be rich integration with Siri and Apple Intelligence features.
We have heard for a while that Apple is plotting a more serious attempt to crack the smart home space, with intermittent rumors about Apple designing its own accessories.
However, it’s unclear at this stage what unique functionality Apple could offer through a first-party camera, rather than continuing its integrations with other manufacturers through the Home app. Perhaps, a powerful embedded Apple silicon chip will enable enriched Apple Intelligence features that other cameras cannot offer.
The first big Apple smart home play will be a new smart display device, that is likely going on sale sometime next year. The new smart display will combine a HomePod-like speaker with a small squarish touchscreen for showing a visual user interface. That device will be Apple’s competitor to products like the Echo Show, with a likely kitchen-top focus for showing timers and recipes.
A couple years after that, Apple is said to be making a more advanced display that will be hoisted on an articulated robotic arm, so the display can tilt and pan to follow the user around the room.
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