Thoughts on Apple's search for a new growth engine, Spatial Personas, and Kevin Lynch's move to the AI group; sources say new iPads may launch the week of May 6
Apple's search for a bold new product category is back on, and it includes a foray into robots.
The story ties that category search to Spatial Personas, a leadership shift into AI, and a possible iPad launch. Together, those threads make product experimentation and AI organization part of the same strategic arc rather than isolated updates.
First-order effects
Apple’s AI group gains Kevin Lynch, concentrating senior product and engineering attention on its AI effort.
Apple is actively evaluating robotics as a potential new category while preparing a near-term iPad update, though the reported launch timing remains unconfirmed.
Second-order effects
A robotics effort would require tighter coordination among Apple’s AI, hardware, and interface teams, making organizational choices around AI more consequential for future devices.
If Apple continues pairing AI investment with new physical-device concepts, its growth strategy could shift from iterative upgrades toward AI-enabled category creation.
The outcome remains uncertain: robotics would need to prove that Apple can turn AI capabilities into a differentiated consumer experience, not merely add them to existing hardware.
The trend: This is one data point in Apple’s attempt to use AI as both a feature layer for its installed hardware base and a catalyst for its next device category.
Things I'd actually want to see from Apple: - iPad/Homepod combo that's also a smart home controller - iPad Pro to be thinner and have a mode that brings it closer to MacOS when keyboard is attached - more pie in the sky: some foray into micromobility
“Apple has been in this situation before. Don't forget that the iMac got the company back on track in the late 1990s. The iPod vaulted it into consumer electronics during the early 2000s. Then there was the iPhone...” There is zero percent chance Apple will introduce a product…
Now that the App Store has opened its door to emulators, you might start to see some of the virtual arcade rooms come to visionOS, officially sanctioned. Combined with SharePlay & spatial personas, that could be a real interesting social space — [images]
The latest news on the iPad: Expect the new iPad Pro and iPad Air around the week of May 6; minor entry level and iPad mini updates as early as end of year; details on work on foldable iPads. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@Techmeme @markgurman I will always remember Kevin Lynch as the head of Adobe Flash who recorded a video of himself driving over an iPhone with a car in the earliest days of iPhone.
Spatial personas on Apple Vision Pro are actually WILDLY good. Does an incredible job of making it feel like people are actually in the room with you. [image]
I'm sticking by my diagnosis - Apple missed AI completely and is now frantically refocusing internally to become relevant. Yes, they have excellent hardware, though I predict we are 2-4 years away from AI-optimized Apple Silicon. They will have their own embedded version of the..…
Apple could be priming Apple Watch software (and former Apple Car) chief Kevin Lynch to take over its AI initiatives if its big push this year doesn't work out. He was somewhat surprisingly moved to that group to help out. https://www.bloomberg.com/...