Apple reportedly plans Oct. 13 debut for smart-home hub

Apple is reportedly preparing three smart-home products for an October 13 introduction, led by a 6-inch display hub. The lineup would also refresh the HomePod mini and Apple TV.
Apple reportedly plans Oct. 13 debut for smart-home hub
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Apple reportedly plans to introduce three smart-home products on October 13, led by a new display-equipped hub. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported the date, as first reported by The Verge. The lineup also includes an updated HomePod mini and a faster-chip Apple TV.

The hub would put a display at the center of Apple’s home plans

The expected device would carry a 6-inch screen in a body roughly as thick as an iPhone. Owners could mount it on a wall or set it on a countertop, giving Apple’s Home app a more visible place in a room. Its reported design takes influence from the iMac G4.

The refreshed HomePod mini is expected to retain a design similar to the current model while adding colors including pink and green. Apple’s next streaming box would also keep its existing general design, with a faster processor as its main reported change.

The timing matters because Apple reportedly delayed all three products from planned 2024 releases. A screen-equipped controller would create a product category that Apple does not currently sell, while connecting its speaker and television hardware to AI-enhanced Siri capabilities. The introduction could show whether Apple’s home software can drive demand for dedicated hardware rather than remain an accessory feature on existing devices.

Apple’s reported home roadmap reaches beyond the October lineup

Apple is also developing a larger 9-inch model with a screen attached to a rotating robotic arm. The company is working on a home security camera and sensor designed to identify which room a person is in without recording video, and it expects to update the larger HomePod separately at a later date.

Apple has not officially confirmed an October 13 event or any of these launches. Pricing, availability, full specifications and the final name of the new controller remain unknown, while the release timing and detailed specifications for the robotic-arm model and room-identifying camera have yet to emerge.

This article was produced with AI assistance from multi-source reporting and is published under our editorial standards.

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