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Apple report: robotic-arm HomeView due 2027-28; touchscreen MacBook Pro may arrive Nov. 6

Apple reportedly plans a robotic-arm HomeView for 2027-28 and may launch its first touchscreen MacBook Pro on Nov. 6.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-19 00:10

Apple has announced HomeView, a $299 smart home display, and some customers have raised concerns that users must move it manually when several people are gathered around a table, 9to5Mac reported. The report, citing Gurman's Power On newsletter, said Apple is on track to address that limitation with a higher-end version code-named J595. That model is described as looking like the current HomeView but with a roughly 9-inch screen, up from 7 inches, and a motorized robotic arm that can swivel the display a full 360 degrees.

Using voice recognition, the device is designed to identify who is speaking and automatically turn toward that person, according to the report. The J595 is expected to sit above the current HomeView in Apple's lineup rather than replace it, so it is not expected to carry the $299 price. The report compared the function to Apple's Center Stage camera, but with a broader range of movement.

Separately, 9to5Mac reported that Apple's first touchscreen MacBook could be released as early as Nov. 6, after an announcement as early as Oct. 27. The report said the redesigned MacBook Pro is expected to use a Tandem OLED display similar to the iPad Pro, a Dynamic Island that is smaller than the one on the iPhone and no Face ID support.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, cited by 9to5Mac, Apple has prepared touch-specific software optimizations beyond those visible in macOS 27 betas. Touching a button or control would bring up a new menu around the user's finger with relevant options; the software would display controls based on prior interaction; and tapping an item in the menu bar would enlarge controls for finger selection. The report said the machines will use existing M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with Apple skipping M6 Pro and Max chips in the redesign to accelerate the M7. A base model is not expected yet, though a redesigned MacBook Pro with an M7 chip could arrive as early as next spring, according to rumors cited by 9to5Mac.

The report also said the new MacBook Pro will be slightly thinner and significantly lighter because of re-engineered internal components. It cited Gurman's Power On newsletter as saying Apple may release the models on Nov. 6, and noted that Apple had not scheduled a release for that date at the time. A retail store reset planned for the evening of Nov. 5 into Nov. 6, involving new signage and products on store tables, would fit a launch, 9to5Mac reported.