Apple appears ready to make a serious push into the smart home market with a new screen-equipped hub reportedly coming at a product launch event as soon as October 13.
The device is for those who want to put the new Siri AI at the center of their home, as well as those who are serious about Apple’s HomeKit smart home accessories. Or both.
Here’s everything we know about Apple’s smart home hub in the days before it is expected to launch.
You can already get a real deal on an M6 Mac mini even though Apple only launched the tiny desktop last month. This deal is kind of amazing for such a new model, dropping the base model to $779.99, saving you $119.
Or you can save on the new M5 Pro Mac mini with faster performance. An Amazon deal drops the base configuration for this variant to $1,549.99.
Apple TV found an unusual premise for its latest comedy: What if Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson really were brothers? That is the question at the heart of Brothers, the new Apple TV comedy starring the longtime friends as fictionalized versions of themselves.
And while critics are divided about the show itself, plenty of reviewers and I agree that watching McConaughey and Harrelson goof around together is a lot of fun.
Here are three reasons you should watch Brothers on Apple TV.
Fall is a busy time for Apple, and we’re expecting a big harvest of products this October.
The highlight might be the first touchscreen MacBook. Also apparently coming in the next few weeks could be Apple’s first smart home hub. Plus, we’re keeping our eyes open for an updated HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K. If all that wasn’t enough, an OLED iPad mini and several other Macs are reportedly waiting in the wings.
And, of course, the month will bring the launch of the folding iPhone Duo, which Apple unveiled in September.
Some of these products supposedly will arrive on October 13. Others have less certain release dates, so there’s still plenty of room for surprises. Here are the new products we’re expecting out of Apple this month.
Pusheen the Cat makes the leap from internet icon to video game star. Pusheen’s Place is now available exclusively on Apple Arcade, giving fans a cozy new way to spend time with the famously adorable feline.
Apple launched the game on October 1 alongside four other additions to Apple Arcade: River City Survivors, Terraria+, Touchgrind BMX 2+ and 4 Pics 1 Word+.
Apple finally gave AirPods something we know you all wanted for years: a built-in equalizer that lets you change how your music sounds.
And unlike the EQ setting buried in Apple Music, this one is tied to your AirPods, not a specific application. That means your custom sound profile isn’t limited to music played through that singular app.
But to be clear: The new Custom EQ feature in iOS 27 isn’t the most sophisticated equalizer you’ll find for a set of headphones. It gives you just three controls — Low, Mid and High. But that’s enough to make a noticeable difference if you think your AirPods sound too bass-heavy, lack vocal clarity or need a little more treble.
Here’s how to set it up … and why you might want to.
★★★★☆
The Razer Prio is a new mobile game controller that’s small enough that you might actually carry it everywhere.
For travel, the accessory folds up to be not much larger than a deck of cards. When it’s time to play, unfold it then clip it to on either side of your iPhone to add physical buttons, triggers and sticks.
I tested the Prio with my iPhone 17 and came away impressed with how easy it is to carry around. It’s fun wherever you need it.
Your car supports CarPlay but still requires you to plug in your iPhone every time you drive? Twelve South has a new solution and it’s only $39.99. The company introduced AirFly Drive on Thursday, a small adapter that turns factory-wired CarPlay into a wireless connection.
AirFly Drive plugs into the car’s USB port and pairs with a phone once. After that, CarPlay connects automatically when the vehicle starts, leaving the iPhone in a pocket, bag or cup holder instead of tethered to the dashboard.
Apple is rolling out a collection of updates to Creator Studio, adding new tools to Pixelmator Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Motion as well as Apple’s productivity apps.
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’s new CEO John Ternus is reportedly pushing for a leaner organization that can move faster and experiment more aggressively. He plans to focus on engineering and push to release more products, more often.
Ternus also could move the company away from its tradition of a few monumental product launches. Rather than concentrating major product announcements into a few annual events, he supposedly wants Apple to introduce products throughout the year.
The planned changes reportedly come with layoffs and other staff reductions as Ternus shakes up the ranks at Apple.
Apple released iOS 27.0.1 on Monday, a patch that fixes several bugs discovered after the company’s major iOS 27 update arrived earlier this month.
Several of these bugs made headlines, including one that could freeze the screen on any iPhone with merely a couple of finger swipes. So the update is recommended for all users.
Bug patches for macOS, iPadOS and watchOS also arrived Monday.
Plenty of new Macs are rumored to be waiting in the wings. Mostly, it’s about bringing the speedy new M6 processor to more models, but we can also look forward to the most radically redesigned MacBook in many years. And a better budget notebook, too.
Anyone on the market for a new Mac take note: Here’s every macOS notebook and desktop currently rumored to arrive by mid-2027.
The new M6 Mac mini costs considerably more than its predecessor. But owners of an M4 model could find that upgrading to the new version cheaper than they expect thanks to the high trade-in value of their current computer.
A post on social media showing Apple offering a customer nearly the full original price for a used Mac mini ought to raise a few eyebrows.
Families with a tradition of watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown can enjoy the classic Peanuts Halloween special on Apple TV for free during a weekend in mid-October. And you can watch it online, not only with an Apple TV set-top box, Mac, iPad or iPhone.
Plus, Apple TV also announced when the Peanuts Thanksgiving and Christmas specials will stream for free in 2026.
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have been on sale for a week, but customers ordering one today can still face a wait that stretches well into October.
The new models debuted last Friday, and even before launch faced criticism for a price hike. There were also questions about whether the new iPhone Duo foldable would lure customers away.
But there’s undeniably enough demand that U.S. customers shopping for one of the two iPhone 18 Pro models online will wait at least two weeks for a shipment to arrive.
★★★★☆
The KYY K1302R Portable Monitor stands out from its rivals with a rotating kickstand that makes switching between landscape and portrait modes a breeze.
The LCD is 1080P, but nevertheless looks bright and clear. And its modest resolution helps make this external display very affordable.
It also appears professional thanks to a slim chassis that’s all aluminum, not plastic. And connecting it to your Mac or iPad is as easy as plugging in a USB-C cable.
I’ve used the portable monitor for weeks as part of my mobile setup. Here’s why I like it.
Apple on Wednesday released watchOS 27.0.1, an important update for owners of its newest Apple Watch models. It fixes a bug that caused these wearables to repeatedly restart.
Anyone with an Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4 should install it immediately.
The interest rate earned by cash stored in Apple Card Savings accounts increased on Tuesday, reversing a trend of declines in previous months. Money in these accounts now earns 3.5% in annual interest.
The bank behind the savings account is responding to changes in the U.S. economy.
★★★★★
Apple made some big promises for AirPods 5, particularly when it comes to active noise cancellation. After spending time with the new earbuds, I can say the company wasn’t exaggerating. ANC is dramatically better than it was on previous open-ear AirPods, making AirPods 5 much more useful in noisy environments. Which is great, because Apple put ANC in its most affordable AirPods, too.
And that’s not the only upgrade that makes a difference. Apple also added something I’ve wanted on my AirPods for years: volume controls right on the stems. That’s reserved for the slightly pricier AirPods 5 variant, though.
I’m a long-time AirPods user, and I could argue that there are enough improvements in AirPods 5 that you might want to replace your AirPods 4. Here’s why.
Anyone who wears an Apple Watch just to track their workouts should be thrilled to hear that Apple is reportedly working on prototypes for a screenless fitness tracker.
It will apparently be a way for Apple to enter the growing market for wearable devices designed to monitor your health around the clock without the extra hassle of a smartwatch display on your wrist.
The new Beats 350 sports a feature the Apple-owned audio brand hasn’t offered before: interchangeable ear and headband cushions to let users change the look and feel of the over-ear headphones.
“Beats didn’t just participate in the rise of over-ear headphones — we helped define the category,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Music, Sports and Beats. “Beats 360 is the next chapter of that story. We combined our most advanced acoustic performance ever with a perfectly balanced design that moves effortlessly with you. And with our new interchangeable cushions, our customers can express themselves in a way no other over-ear headphone can.”
In case it slipped your mind, Apple is about to launch a pair of new Mac desktops. Speed-boosted versions of the Mac mini and Mac Studio were announced weeks ago, but they are just now about to reach customers.
That means Tuesday marks the real-world launch of two significantly upgraded macOS models, with the Mac mini getting Apple’s new M6 processor or the M5 Pro, while the Mac Studio moves to M5 Max or M5 Ultra chips.
UPDATE: The wait is over! These Macs are available now from the Apple Store and other retailers.
Both machines put a particular emphasis on AI performance, reflecting Apple’s growing push to make its desktop Macs powerful platforms for running AI models locally.
iPadOS 27 is out, and maybe you’re looking for a reason to install it. Or you might have already installed it and want to know more about it. I’m here to help.
Apple hypes the AI capabilities, but the most popular iPad model doesn’t support Apple Intelligence. And maybe AI isn’t your thing.
Good news: iPadOS 27 brings a long list of non-AI changes that affect everyday iPad use. Some are visual refinements while others improve performance, stability, file transfers, Safari, Mail, Messages and more.
Here are the best new iPadOS 27 features that aren’t AI.
Although Apple is thrilled about the new Siri AI integrated into iOS 27, maybe artificial intelligence isn’t your thing. Fortunately, you can opt out of Apple’s new voice assistant.
iOS 27 lets you turn Siri off completely. Alternatively, you can switch from the new AI-powered Siri back to Siri Classic.
And if you absolutely do not want artificial intelligence in your iPhone, you can disable it … though that process is far more complex than is ideal.