Cupertino, California, tech giant Apple is reportedly interested in developing robots for consumer use, claims reputed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Humanoid robots are witnessing increasing interest in the tech sector, with Elon Musk leading the charge and tying Tesla's future valuation to them instead of electric vehicles. As per Kuo, Apple's humanoid development is in its early stages, and as opposed to simply focusing on humanoids, the firm is exploring ways in which its customers can interact with the robots.
Apple Might Start Making Robots For Consumer Use In 2028, Says Analyst
According to Kuo, Apple's robot plans are still in the proof of concept or development stage. He believes that instead of solely focusing on humanoids, the firm is choosing to learn how its users might interact with their robots.
Consumer interaction has always been central in Apple's product philosophy, and Kuo writes that "Apple cares more about how users build perception with robots than their physical appearance." As a result, he adds that the firm might be focusing on "sensing hardware and software [as] the core technologies."
Kuo also believes that since the proof of concept for robots is still in the early stages, Apple is unlikely to start mass production of the products until 2028. The firm is also recruiting talent for robotic development and has been candidly sharing its proof of concept work to attract talent into its fold, according to the analyst.
However, the analyst cautions that just because the robots might be in a proof of concept stage doesn't mean that the product might see the light of day. Proof of concept is an underlooked aspect of Apple's product strategy, Kuo outlines. As this phase focuses on evaluating whether a product is viable before formally commencing development, the robots might not see the light of day, he says.
An example of a product stuck in the proof of concept stage according to the analyst is the much hyped Apple Car. After rumors and reports claimed for years that the firm was developing its car, Apple scrapped the project in April last year.
Along with artificial intelligence, robotics is another emerging technology that has caught the industry's eye recently. Tesla chief Elon Musk has repeatedly asserted that his firm can manufacture tens of thousands of humanoid robots by 2027. NVIDIA's Blackwell GPUs, which are predominantly believed to be the prominent AI product, also have features that can propel humanoid robot development.
Firms such as Cathie Wood's Ark Invest also believe that the humanoid market can be worth trillions of dollars. The robots are believed to add to industrial productivity by reducing accidents and improving efficiency over current equipment and humans.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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