Apple robots could enter mass production by 2028 or later, says analyst

It might not be the Apple Car, but the company isn't done exploring futuristic product categories. The latest information comes from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said that Apple is exploring ideas for humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its smart home ecosystem. Still, mass production likely won't start until 2028 or later.

The information comes just weeks after Apple published a paper about its ELEGNT robot that looks like the Pixar lamp. At least, it could be the closest thing to the rumored smart device with an "iPad-like display" and a robotic arm for 360 rotation and up/down tilt that the company is reportedly working on.

Mark Gurman reported last year that Apple's tabletop robotic smart display is expected to cost $1,000 or more when released. The company is also working on a cheaper display primarily intended to make FaceTime calls and control smart home devices. Reports of Apple exploring a home robot also arrived around April last year.

Kuo said in a post on X that Apple's unreleased robotic products are still in the early development phase and are in the proof-of-concept (POC) stage, adding that Apple is more concerned about how users connect with its robots than how they look.

"While the industry debates the merits of humanoid vs. non-humanoid designs, supply chain checks indicate Apple cares more about how users build perception with robots than their physical appearance (so Apple uses anthropomorphic instead of humanoid), implying sensing hardware and software serve as the core technologies," Kuo said.

That said, the actual finished product isn't expected for several years. However, according to the analyst, Apple has been "unusually open" about its robotics research, which could be an attempt to attract talent. "People often hear about stages like NPI, EVT, and MP when discussing Apple’s product development, but POC tends to fly under the radar."

However, merely testing POCs and prototypes under its roof doesn't translate into an actual Apple product of the future. The company has done it with the Apple Car or AirPower wireless charging mat that was announced in 2017 but later scrapped.

Image for representation via Apple Machine Learning Research