Apple is internally testing a smart home hub codenamed J490 that would rival Amazon's Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The device would feature a camera, microphones, facial recognition to personalize content per user, and an interface blending iOS, tvOS and watchOS elements, all built around the newly launched Siri AI from iOS 27. Gurman also reported Apple scrapped a special Pencil designed for the dual-screen iPhone Duo due to technical issues, opting instead to support the existing iPad Apple Pencil.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-21
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple is testing a smart home display, internally coded J490/J491, in employee homes ahead of a possible launch as soon as next month. The device reportedly combines elements of iOS, tvOS, and watchOS, with its own home screen, widgets, and clock faces, and leans heavily on an upgraded Siri to handle tasks across apps like Notes and Reminders.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-21
Google has removed the Pixel Tablet from its official store, with links now redirecting to the general landing page, even though the device will keep getting software support through 2028. The move effectively ends new sales of Google's only current tablet without an announced successor.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-18
Apple's fall event centered on the new foldable iPhone Duo and expanded Siri AI features but included no mention of a long-rumored standalone smart home display. Insiders had suggested Apple would finally launch an Echo Show-style device with facial recognition and flexible mounting options, but the Apple Home app received no stage time at all. Instead, the $1,999 iPhone Duo can be propped up to mimic some display functions, though it lacks the size, speakers, and dedicated purpose of true smart displays.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-10
Anker has introduced a 'smart display' on some of its chargers that shows information like temperature, charging mode, status, and real-time wattage output, plus battery progress for compatible devices. The screen also includes a small animated character that reacts to touch, offering playful animations like napping or wobbling when tapped.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-08
Multiple Reddit users say their Google Home devices, running the older Assistant-based system, are refusing to answer simple questions like recipe requests or holiday facts, instead returning generic error messages. Basic functions such as timers and sports scores reportedly still work fine, suggesting the issue is limited to certain query types rather than a total system failure.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-07
A Reddit user reported that their Google Home assistant began calling them 'Fish Lemon' after a casual conversation about cooking fish weeks earlier. The nickname has persisted across reminders, smart display labels, and direct queries about their name, resisting attempts to correct it despite their Google Account showing their real name.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-02
A bug disrupted voice-activated alarm setting on Google Home devices, including Nest speakers, displays, and third-party hardware like Lenovo smart displays, for several days in August. Users found that commands like asking for an alarm at a specific time were ignored unless they used odd workarounds, such as saying an exact hour or prefacing the request with an unrelated phrase. Google has now confirmed the issue is resolved across both Google Assistant and Gemini for Home.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-25
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