Apple’s AI Ambitions: Chatbots Enter the Home as the Duo Ecosystem Expands
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Leaked code suggests AI is coming to HomeView, while Apple pushes a massive app offensive for its pricey new foldable.
OPINION: Apple is finally letting chatbots into the home, but I'll bet my last dime they'll use it as a moat to lock us further into their ecosystem.
***
Apple appears to be prepping its smart home hub for a conversational overhaul. According to reporting from The Verge, beta code for iOS 27.3 contains a flag for a category labeled “Conversational Apps.” While Apple has not officially announced the feature, Terrence O'Brien of The Verge notes that this suggests support for AI chatbots—specifically mentioning Claude and ChatGPT—could be integrated into HomeView.
Security and technical hurdles remain. The Verge reports that a user named pdfu on X identified support for session management and bidirectional audio routing in the beta, though the feature is reportedly “still not fully wired up.” Additionally, the code reveals anti-spoofing protections that would force a user to authenticate via iPhone after three failed attempts, with lockout periods scaling from one hour for the second lockout up to eight hours for the fourth.
While Apple eyes the living room, it is also aggressively patching the software gaps of its latest hardware play. TechCrunch reports that Apple announced over 100,000 apps optimized for the iPhone Duo are now live on the App Store, with thousands more being added daily. This push follows early criticism regarding a lack of Duo-optimized software at launch.
Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, stated that the company is grateful for the creativity of developers who have embraced the Duo. To facilitate this, TechCrunch reports that more than 2,000 developers attended over 50 in-person workshops across 19 cities.
Among the newly optimized apps listed by Apple are Microsoft Word, Outlook, Zoom, Etsy, LTK, Goodnotes, Extra, and the Halide Mark III camera app. These join previously optimized staples like WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and Netflix. The push for optimization is critical, as TechCrunch notes that non-optimized apps suffer from black bars on the screen and hidden functions in overflow menus.
Notably, the AI integration isn't just for the home. TechCrunch reports that Apple listed ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Grok Bot among the apps updated for iOS 27 and optimized for the Duo, though some updates may still be rolling out.
Despite the software surge, the hardware remains a luxury rarity. According to TechCrunch, the 256GB model of the iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 and saw its entire initial stock vanish within hours of orders opening. Apple stated on a recent earnings call that it is “hard to predict” when the supply constraints causing shipping delays into next year will improve.