Apple’s long-rumored smart home ambitions may finally be ready for prime time. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing to launch three new home products over the coming months, including a Siri AI-powered smart home hub, a refreshed Apple TV 4K, and an updated HomePod mini. The report pegs the Apple TV and HomePod mini for release this fall, while the new smart home hub is expected to arrive sometime “between October and early next year”.
The wait for Apple’s AI-powered home may be over soon
That timeline is the biggest development in Gurman’s latest report. Apple has been planning the smart home hub for years, but the device has repeatedly slipped because it depends on the company’s next-gen Siri experience. Earlier reports suggested the product had missed multiple internal launch targets after Apple’s AI roadmap fell behind schedule.
The hub itself won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone following the rumors. Gurman has previously reported that it will feature a 7-inch display, a new home-focused interface, FaceTime support, smart home controls, and personalized experiences powered by Siri AI. The same applies to the Apple TV and HomePod mini refreshes. Rather than introducing major redesigns, Bloomberg says both products will retain their existing look while gaining faster processors capable of running Siri AI features.
Apple’s smart home roadmap doesn’t end there
Bloomberg says the first wave of Siri AI-powered devices is only the beginning. Apple is reportedly developing a higher-end version of the smart hub with a robotic arm that can move its display to follow the user during FaceTime calls, as well as an advanced home security camera system designed to compete with Amazon’s Ring lineup.
Together, these products would represent Apple’s most ambitious push yet to build a more complete AI-powered smart home ecosystem. If the rollout goes as planned, Apple could finally become a serious contender in a smart home market long dominated by Amazon and Google.
