Apple's Home Hub could arrive in late 2026, smart glasses in late 2027, and a tabletop robotic arm sometime in 2028. These were all expected sooner, but Apple's delayed AI upgrades created roadblocks.
In the Apple leaks world, unannounced products that get release windows pushed internally still get labeled as "delayed." Apple engineers clearly had a release date in mind, and even had a target set, but other product divisions can get in the way.
According to the latest "Power On" newsletter from Bloomberg, three unannounced products waiting on AI upgrades equate to "so many Apple product delays." These unreleased, unannounced products include the rumored Home Hub, smart glasses, and a robotic arm upgrade to the Home Hub.
Had Apple Intelligence performed as expected and rolled out completely through 2025, the report suggests that the Home Hub would have arrived sooner, the glasses would have been released in early 2027, and the robotic arm could have arrived in 2026 or 2027.
This lines up with previous reporting, however, it is amusing how it is being pitched in this newsletter. Since the robotic arm is technically an accessory or second iteration of the Home Hub, we're only talking about two product lines affected by AI delays.
The line between being wrong and delay
Just to break down this bit of data further, the rumored Meta Ray-Ban glasses being "delayed" from early 2027 to late 2027 may not even be a delay. Leaker Ming-Chi Kuo was first to say that late 2027 was the goal, and it wasn't until more recently that Gurman switched to that timeline.
Apple Glasses are coming, just later than what was previously reported
As I've reported previously, whatever source Gurman has for the Vision Products Group seems to be a rather poor one. He has consistently missed on nearly every product scheduling leak about Apple Vision Pro and other details relating to the team.
So, this second of two "delays" is actually a course correction. That means the "so many Apple product delays" is actually just one delay — the Apple Home Hub tablet.
That product has reportedly been ready to go for some time, but it makes sense that Apple wants its AI to be better before launch. It can't afford to have another product built around Siri to be perceived as bad simply because Siri is bad.
There is no mention of Apple's work on an AI pendant here, which theoretically is also waiting on Apple's better AI tools to progress. However, it may be too early in development for even Gurman to claim it was delayed.
Apple's busiest release cycle yet
Apple is clearly building up to enter the smart home market in force with its own product lines. They'll include the Home Hub tablet, security camera, and doorbell.
That launch could occur at any time, really.
iPhone Fold could arrive as Apple's most expensive handset yet even as the world struggles with pricing and supplies
The more interesting story is the one that wasn't printed here because it can't be used to suggest some kind of Apple failure. The market for memory and computer parts has become overrun with AI company demand, which means we may not see the remainder of M5 upgrades this summer.
While WWDC is a software-focused event, the company hasn't shied away from revealing product upgrades and even chipsets at the event. However, the supply chain is so depleted that even Apple has to take a back seat.
Each year we get new advanced pieces of Apple Silicon like the M5 family, five new iPhone models, multiple Mac laptops and desktops, AirPods, Apple Watch, iPads, and sometimes even Apple TV and HomePods. Then there's the routine upgrades to every operating system Apple develops each year.
Oh, and I guess iPhone Fold might actually be announced in September after a full revitalization of the company's AI efforts.
We should all be critical of Apple when necessary. But taking a reader question like "Why are there so many Apple product delays lately?" and producing one actual delay in the response is a bit much.
Apple Intelligence was unfortunately delayed in its fullest realized form in early 2025. That created a ripple effect across other potential releases and product strategies.
But this idea that keeps getting pushed of an Apple in conflict, struggling to get products out of the door, directly contradicts the results we can see with our eyes. In a world where consumers have been beaten down with AI at every turn, Apple is thriving with almost zero presence in the space.
Let's see what they've cooked up for WWDC and how that might shift Apple's position, for better or for worse.
