Apple's J595 desktop robot prototype revealed: 9-inch screen plus robotic arm, target price around $1,000
The Information reports that Apple's prototype codenamed J595 is a 9-inch screen plus a robotic arm; the arm moves the screen to face whoever is speaking in the room, the unit stays on the desktop, and the target price is around $1,000. Apple has neither announced nor confirmed that the machine exists. Most of the hardware was ready about two years ago, but software has held up its launch; the team has kept cutting features over the past year, narrowing the first-generation concept to FaceTime calls and turning on lights. People familiar with the matter say Apple has about 10 people who truly understand robot R&D, and the software team has about 300 people.