- Apple’s first smart home hub could launch as soon as later this year
- It will look like a cross between a HomePod and an iPad
- A more advanced device with a robotic arm may launch a year or two later
If you’ve been following recent Apple news, you might have heard the rumor that the company is working on a home hub that would look something like a cross between a HomePod and an iPad. Given Apple’s pedigree, it has the potential to become one of the best smart home devices around, and it now looks like the device could launch as soon as the end of 2025.
That’s according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who claimed in his Power On newsletter that we could get our hands on this product “by the end of this year at the earliest” (although that’s not yet set in stone). It could mark Apple’s attempt to both dominate the smart home and make further inroads into artificial intelligence (AI) – something it hopes its Apple Intelligence platform will be a key part of.
1. A new OS that pulls from tvOS
Interested in this device? We’ve heard a few things about it already, and it’s certainly shaping up to be an eye-catching addition to Apple’s product roster. That’s due in part to the fact that Apple is allegedly working on an entirely new operating system for the product, potentially named homeOS, that is based on tvOS and will prominently feature Siri and Apple Intelligence.
2. The display will be the focal point
Secondly, the key focal point of the so-called HomePad will be its display. Here, rumors have pointed to a 7-inch screen with a thick bezel, with a front-facing camera mounted on the top edge. The latter will reflect an emphasis on using the device for video calling.
3. The smart display will support apps, and carry over a popular iPhone feature
The third point is that Apple apps will, of course, be supported. And finally, you can expect some features from other apps, such as the iPhone’s StandBy dashboard. The focus, though, will remain on controlling your connected smart home devices.
4. Eyes on the AI prize
Apple has never really embraced the smart home to the extent that some rivals have. Sure, you can control connected products using HomeKit and the Home app, but these have their problems. Beyond that, there’s also a surprising lack of Apple-branded hardware in this space. That could all change in the next year or two.
But the smart home isn’t Apple’s real target here – it’s artificial intelligence. AI is a huge, booming market right now, and Apple has already fallen behind due to its well-documented struggles with its Apple Intelligence platform, with a host of promised features delayed and missing altogether.
Like many tech firms, Apple wants to get its AI into as many customers’ homes as possible, so launching a smart home hub makes a lot of sense in this regard: it gives Apple another way to appeal to customers who might not be convinced by Apple Intelligence so far.
This isn’t the only smart home product that rumors claim Apple is working on, though. The company also has something up its sleeve that would comprise a screen on the end of a robotic arm, allowing it to be moved around at will. This more advanced product isn’t expected until “a year or two” after the HomePad launches, though, while Gurman adds that Apple has “pulled some bolder features from the device” in order to get it ready faster.
Time is of the essence, and Apple is all too aware of that. With its first home hub potentially launching later this year, we’ll soon find out if Apple’s efforts have been worth the wait or need more time in the oven.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
