The company is <a href="https://myappsplus.com/report-apple-cuts-iphone-18-pro-production-due-to-soft-demand/” title=”Report: Apple cuts iPhone 18 Pro production due to 'soft demand'”>reportedly rebooting its smart home ambitions with a smart display and a whole bunch of other accessories.
Apple is hosting its second fall event on October 13, and the “Welcome home” tagline on its invitation heavily suggests it will be focused on smart home products. Depending on your perspective, you could trace the company’s entry into the space with the introduction of the Apple TV, HomeKit or the first HomePod, but this new push is reportedly built around the improved functionality of Siri AI and several new pieces of hardware that will run it.
The star of that new hardware lineup will reportedly be the company’s first smart display, but it’s also expected to introduce updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini alongside it, too, and possibly a whole lot more. Here’s the full rundown of new products Apple could announce at its smart home event.
An Apple smart display or ‘HomePad’
All recent reporting indicates Apple is ready to launch its first smart display, a device that marries the audio and AI assistant capabilities of a HomePod with a display that can showcase photos, run apps and act as a dedicated FaceTime device.
Bloomberg reports Apple’s so-called “HomePad” will feature a 6-inch square display that will be available attached to a round, HomePod mini-style speaker or a smaller audio set-up that can be mounted alongside the display on a wall. The primary method for interacting with the HomePad is Siri AI, but the device’s new tvOS-based “homeOS” will also support touchscreen interactions and include some of the customizable interface elements of the Apple Watch and the iPhone’s StandBy mode. The smart display will also be able to run iPadOS-style apps, according to Bloomberg, which opens up the possibility for video streaming and other functionality if developers decide to support it.
Besides acting as a showcase for Siri AI’s ability to interact with Apple’s HomeKit platform, Apple reportedly also plans for the device to be able to detect who’s looking at it and adjust its interface and apps accordingly, though it apparently won’t rely on Apple’s Face ID technology from the iPhone to make that happen. The feature could let the HomePad switch which calendar or notifications it displays depending on who’s looking at the screen — personalization features few other Apple devices offer.
Updates to the HomePod mini and Apple TV
Apple limits access to Siri AI based on a device’s A-series or M-series chip, so it makes sense the aging chips in the current HomePod mini (an S5 chip from the Apple Watch Series 5) and the Apple TV 4K (an A15 Bionic chip from the iPhone 13) would need to be swapped out for something new. Bloomberg reports that both the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini will be updated with faster chips that can run Siri AI, along with modest design updates.
The new Apple TV 4K will reportedly be powered by at least an A19 chip from the iPhone 17 lineup and feature a slightly redesigned remote along. The HomePod mini will come in new colors including green, pink, blue, black and white, according to MacRumors, and will likely feature a chip from a recent Apple Watch so it can handle Siri AI prompts. Apple is also reportedly working on supporting surround sound setups with HomePods, an expansion of the stereo HomePod setups it currently offers through the Apple TV.
Third-party doorbells, locks and cameras
Previous reports suggested Apple was working on its own privacy-focused cameras as part of its smart home lineup, but now Bloomberg reports they might not be sold under Apple’s name. The company is reportedly collaborating with LG Electronics to create a series of smart locks, doorbells, thermostats and temperature sensors. The devices will work with Apple’s smart home ecosystem but will apparently be manufactured, sold and supported by LG. A later leak suggested similar third-party devices will also come from Schneider Electric, which is apparently making a thermostat for the launch.
https://x.com/itspdfu/status/2107927734609461257
This doesn’t necessarily preclude Apple from releasing its own versions of these devices down the line, but it does suggest that Apple won’t make the first accessories designed for this new era of HomeKit. Considering the threat the company’s scale and reach poses to other smart home product makers, it’s probably the right move to play nice.
