Nov 12 (Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) is planning on

launching a wall-mounted display that can control appliances,

handle video conferencing and use artificial intelligence to

navigate apps, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people

with knowledge of the effort.

The product, code-named J490, could be announced as early as

March, the report said, adding that it will spotlight the new AI

platform, Apple Intelligence.

Apple ( AAPL ) did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

The higher-end device could be priced as much as $1,000

depending upon the components being used, the report said, but

the display-only device would be far less than that.

The potential device launch would come as the tech behemoth

looks to compete with rivals in the smart home market, including

Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's ( AMZN ) Echo Show and

Echo Hub smart displays.

The AI wall tablet, which looks like a square iPad and is

about the size of two iPhones side by side, has a roughly 6-inch

screen and will be offered in silver and black colors, Bloomberg

News said.

The product will be a standalone device, but it will require

an iPhone for some tasks, the report said.