Apple’s Mythical ‘HomePad’ May Finally Be Nigh

At long last, Apple appears to be ready to release its long-rumored slate of new smart home gadgets. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman , Apple will take the wraps off a couple of new products on Oct. 13.

First, there’s the mythical smart home hub , the colloquially dubbed “HomePad,” which Gurman, per his Apple sources, describes as a “6-inch square display, with versions that can be mounted on a wall or placed on a countertop.” Pretty much the definition of a smart home hub, though there are some Apple flourishes here.

For example, Gurman has said previously that one of the defining features of the HomePad is facial recognition, so the hub can recognize users when they stand nearby and pull up personalized information. Apple apparently envisions users having multiple hubs in their home for a mix of use cases, like controlling thermostats and other smart home products, but also for video calling and even “intercom-style” communication.

As for apps, Gurman reports that Apple is set to include core functionalities like Calendar, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Notes, Reminders, Music, and Podcasts. Users will apparently be able to choose a wallpaper and move apps and widgets by pressing and holding them as you would in iOS .

Looks-wise, Gurman says the hub is “about as thick as an iPhone” and that its display has a quarter-inch bezel. The corners are reportedly rounded, with no sharp edges, and it has to be plugged in. There are reportedly no volume or power buttons. The screen, which is connected via a metal arm, is expected to sit atop a round, metal base that has rings with perforated speaker holes. Gurman says users can manually position the display to move it forward or backward.

There’s a second version, too. This version is reportedly designed to be mounted on the wall and has a “thin, square-shaped base beneath the display that houses the speakers and microphones.”

In addition to the smart home hub, there’s also a (probably less exciting) update to Apple’s smart home speakers, specifically the HomePod Mini. This update, which would be the first major update since 2020, reportedly brings a faster processor to better run Apple’s updated Siri AI models. Apple plans to update the colors, according to Gurman, this time with green and pink.

If it feels like you’ve been hearing about this stuff for ages now, you’re not alone. Delays to Apple’s AI-infused Siri update held plans back, according to Gurman, but with that endeavor back on course, smart home hardware is free to finally enter the world, and it looks poised to do so sooner rather than later.