March 16, 2026 – According to Bloomberg’s journalist Mark Gurman in his latest “Power On” newsletter, Apple’s sluggish progress in Siri and artificial intelligence has once again thrown a wrench into its smart – home product plans.
Some people argue that Apple’s lag in the AI field won’t lead to real losses since the company’s revenue remains stable and iPhone sales haven’t shown a significant decline. However, this view overlooks a crucial aspect: Apple’s technological image and its position as an industry leader are being undermined, and this is already having tangible business impacts.
Over the past year or so, Apple has been striving to break into the smart – home market, aiming to create a new growth engine. Yet, due to its insufficient AI capabilities, this plan has repeatedly hit snags.
Inside Apple, a smart – home device with the code name J490 has been completed, but it has remained under wraps so far. This device resembles a 7 – inch square iPad in shape. It can be mounted on a hemispherical speaker base or hung on the wall. Its interface design is similar to that of watchOS and supports the installation of applications.
The core feature of this device is a new personalized Siri. When a user approaches, the system will recognize the face and display personalized content. Initially, it was planned to be launched in March 2025, but the delay of the Siri upgrade project led to its postponement.
Apple then hoped to introduce the product this month, along with the release of iOS 26.4 and a new personalized Siri. But the development of the new Siri has fallen behind schedule again, and the launch is likely to be pushed back to the end of this year.
Gurman pointed out that this smart – home device has also been forced to be delayed once more. Currently, Apple is targeting a September release, but given the ongoing difficulties in AI development, there is still great uncertainty about whether this timeline can be met.
