Apple rumored to be working on a smart home operating system version

mgh2 | 69 points

In one sense this is logical. A HomePod with a screen and an iOS variant. On the other hand, what is this for? What uses do these smart home devices serve? We are a decade plus into the “smart home” era and most of these things are more trouble than they are worth.

joshmarinacci | 13 hours ago

I’m amazed not a single comment here has mentioned tvOS. Even TFA barely mentions it. My Apple TV device acts as my smarthome/home app hub, and tvOS already supports multiple users.

alehlopeh | 3 hours ago

So, a new skin counts as "all-new"?

slashdave | 13 hours ago

I can't wait to see the list of home automation gadgets it interoperates with. All five of them.

cosmicgadget | 6 hours ago

'all-new' meaning based on macOS just like iOS, watchOS, etc...

SG- | 13 hours ago

It's such a pity to see how much respect Apple has lost due to its lack of real technological ambition. Just a few years ago, Apple was admired for pushing boundaries—now it feels like history is repeating itself.

codeaether | 12 hours ago

So is this about the kernel, or just the GUI layer? Or somewhere in between?

amelius | 13 hours ago

In the past I used to get excited for any rum or, teaser or upcoming release.

However, in this apple era I can’t.

Why? Because I can’t count on them to deliver.

The M series chips, and air pods have been a smashing success.

But the fact that Siri is still behind even pre LLM state of the art is abominable.

Apple vision was innovative. But the forward facing display, and titanium parts that bloated weight and cost was a sign of deteriorating design thinking.

Their delivery is so inconsistent lately its hard to trust the known what they’re doing with their future.

bnchrch | 12 hours ago

> For example, he expects there to be a hexagonal grid of apps, just like on the Apple Watch.

One of the worst UI experiences out there.

dangus | 14 hours ago

Apple wants you to buy a new phone every year.

Home automation needs support for 30 years.

IoT won't ever take off without strict regulations on long term support and open standards, including escrowed support.

AtlasBarfed | 10 hours ago

AI-centric phone-like OS? .. hard pass. California gave rise to so many inspired and marvelous technology in the past, but this always-on Big Brother world built on massive pools of cash.. n-o spells no. I do not understand how people accept these consumer devices.

gnerd00 | 12 hours ago

I assume another custom version of FreeBSD.

calibas | 13 hours ago