Apple Has Worked on Docking Accessory to Turn iPad Into a Smart Home Display

Apple has worked on a docking accessory for the iPad that would allow users to transform the device into a smart home display, similar to Google's approach with the Pixel Tablet, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Earlier this year, Google announced that it will offer a charging dock with a speaker that magnetically attaches to the back of the upcoming Pixel Tablet, essentially turning it into a smart home display like the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that he expects Apple to bring similar functionality to the ‌iPad‌ next year with a docking accessory that will be sold separately, while the company works on a standalone product for the home that combines a display and a smart speaker:

I'm told Apple is working to bring similar functionality to the iPad as soon as 2023. I reported last year that Apple is exploring a stand-alone device that combines an iPad with a speaker hub. The idea is to offer something that users can place on a kitchen counter, in the living room or on their nightstand. But Apple also has worked on an iPad docking accessory that it could sell separately and would accomplish much of the same thing.

A docking accessory could allow the ‌iPad‌ to be used to control their smart home accessories more easily, make FaceTime calls using the ‌iPad‌'s front-facing camera with Center Stage, and more.

Compared to Google and Amazon, Apple has largely stayed out of the smart home market, releasing the HomePod mini in October 2020 before discontinuing the original HomePod in March 2021. A new, full-sized ‌HomePod‌ is one of several products Apple is expected to release in 2023. According to rumors, the new full-sized ‌HomePod‌ will keep the same design as the original smart speaker but feature faster performance and potentially a new display.