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Apple Said to Build New Home Hub in Vietnam With BYD, Targeting Spring 2026 Launch

The reported Vietnam build reflects Apple's push to diversify production away from China.

Overview

  • Bloomberg reports BYD will lead local production in Vietnam, handling end assembly, quality checks and packaging.
  • Two versions are planned: J490 on a speaker base and J491 for wall mounting, each featuring a small square display and a FaceTime camera.
  • The shared household device is expected to personalize views using face recognition and may introduce a new home-focused interface referred to as homeOS.
  • Pricing is reported around $350, placing the product between HomePod and iPad, after earlier delays tied to Siri improvements.
  • Apple is also said to be preparing a smart interior camera for late 2026 and exploring a motorized tabletop robot for 2027.