Bloomberg reports that Apple is designing a tabletop virtual companion robot, which is rumored to have a 2027 launch date. Pixar Lamp is what people at Apple are calling it.
Apple’s interactive device will be equipped with a 7-inch display that will be attached to a movable arm that can extend and rotate in any direction for up to 6 inches. The tabletop robot has a feature similar to Center Stage with support for FaceTime. It might integrate an option where you can control the display of the robot using a joystick, so its position could be adjusted to give different room views when calling a person.
As of now, the tabletop robot is in the prototype stage, and there is no final decision made for the robot, including the visual design. Products similar to these have seen a delay, but Apple is looking forward to a 2027 release for the robot virtual companion. LLM Siri and Apple Intelligence have not been released by the company yet.
