Apple is all set to unveil the new iPad Pro and 10th-gen basic iPad this week. Rumors suggest that Apple won’t be hosting a special event and will instead release new devices through digital press releases. While we’re all excited about the upcoming iPads, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has revealed Apple’s plan for a new docking accessory for the iPad that could be introduced in 2023.

In his latest Powen On newsletter, Gurman stated that Apple is planning to release a new Pixel tablet-like dock accessory for the iPad in 2023 that would turn the tablet into a smart home product. The iPad would magnetically attach to the dock, turning into a smart speaker with a display. Here’s what Gurman had to say:

I reported last year that Apple is exploring a stand-alone device that combines an iPad with a speaker hub. The idea is to offer something that users can place on a kitchen counter, in the living room or on their nightstand. But Apple also has worked on an iPad docking accessory that it could sell separately and would accomplish much of the same thing.

Users could use an iPad docking accessory to control their smart home products with the Home app, make FaceTime calls with the iPad’s front camera, and do much more. The accessory would work exactly like the Pixel tablet dock that Google unveiled earlier this month (shown above), which is also set to launch next year.

The accessory makes perfect sense as the iPad has essentially become a home product, even though Apple continues to market it as a laptop replacement. The smart home accessory would allow users to get the most out of their iPad. Would you be interested in buying such a product? Let us know in the comments section below!

Source: Power On