Apple’s long-awaited entry into the smart home is finally about to become a reality. The company is reportedly preparing to launch its first dedicated smart home hub on October 13.
The device could give Apple its first real answer to products such as Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub, according to an unconfirmed report published Wednesday.
Apple reportedly will unveil the new product alongside two other smart home devices: updated versions of the HomePod mini and Apple TV set-top box. All will be designed around the new AI-powered Siri digital assistant.
Apple makes its big push into the smart home
Apple already offers HomeKit and the Home app, but its smart home hardware lineup has largely been limited to the HomePod and Apple TV.
That’s apparently about to change with the much-rumored smart home hub, as well as new versions of the smart speaker and streaming box, reports Bloomberg.
The centerpiece of Apple’s latest move into the smart home market will reportedly pack a roughly 6-inch square display. Apple is expected to offer one version that sits on a countertop and one that can be mounted on a wall.
The countertop model reportedly uses a design reminiscent of the iMac G4 — aka the “sunflower Mac.” A metal arm connects the display to a rounded base containing speakers and microphones, while allowing the screen to tilt. The wall-mounted version has a thinner base.
The hub is supposedly about as thick as an iPhone with bezels similar to older iPads. But this is not a mobile product. There’s no built-in battery, and the smart home hub must remain connected to power through USB-C.
A camera on the front supports FaceTime calls, but that’s just the start. Apple reportedly plans to use facial and voice recognition to identify people in the home, allowing the device to provide personalized information and responses based on the user’s account.
Siri will be at the center
The smart home hub “could be used to control thermostats, door locks and other connected products, as well as for video calls, intercom-style communication, music playback and viewing slideshows of photos stored in Apple’s iCloud service,” reports Bloomberg.
But the real purpose appears to be giving Apple’s revamped Siri a permanent presence in the home. Users will be able to ask natural-language questions and get answers based on context. And instead of asking these questions through an iPhone, Apple Watch or HomePod, users could have a screen in the kitchen, living room or bedroom that is always ready to respond.
The device reportedly runs a new operating system that combines elements of iPadOS, watchOS and tvOS, with support for apps and widgets.
Apple updates HomePod mini and Apple TV, too
The smart home push apparently won’t stop with the new hub.
Apple is reportedly preparing the first update to its HomePod mini since its debut in 2020. The updated smart speaker has also been the topic of months of rumors, and is expected to retain the current basic design while getting a faster processor that can handle Apple’s more capable Siri AI. New colors are possible, too. (Bloomberg mentioned green and pink.)
Apple is also rumored to introduce a new Apple TV on Oct. 13, the first update to its set-top box since 2022. Like the HomePod mini 2, it reportedly will keep its existing design but receive a faster chip designed in part to support Apple’s AI ambitions.
With the revamped Siri the focus of all three products reportedly coming next month, Apple clearly sees them as parts of the same strategy.
Stay tuned for Apple’s smart home launch on Oct. 13
To be clear, Bloomberg‘s prediction of an October 13 launch for these smart home products is based on leaks coming out of Cupertino — there has been no official Apple announcement.
And there’s no word on whether there will be a product launch event or whether these new offerings will be unveiled via press release.
But after years of speculation about Apple’s fresh plans for smart homes, the wait could finally be almost over.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
