First Plans for Apple's Tabletop Robot Spotted in Supply Chain

Apple's rumored tabletop robot has been spotted in its global supply chain for the first time, Taiwan's United Daily News reports.

Apple has apparently chosen Hongzhun to play a critical role in the development of the forthcoming device. Specifically, the supplier will be responsible for developing key mechanical components and casings for the tabletop robot. Once the product moves into mass production, Hongzhun will be tasked with producing the mechanical parts on a large scale. Hongzhun is a subsidiary of Foxconn, a longstanding manufacturing partner of Apple.

At its most recent shareholders' meeting, Hongzhun announced its intention to invest in emerging technologies such as robotics and AI, signaling a move away from its traditional focus on producing casings for laptops and game consoles. Hongzhun has prior experience in assembling Foxconn's own "FoxBot" robot.

Apple's robot project, reportedly code-named J595 internally, is described by Bloomberg as a desktop device that combines an iPad-like display with a robotic arm. It is designed to serve as a central hub in Apple's smart home ecosystem, integrating with other Apple products and services like Siri, and run a variant of iPadOS. It could be introduced as soon as 2026, with an estimated price tag of approximately $1,000.