Apple’s approach to the smart home has been fairly hands-off, with great software support but little in-house hardware of its own. In the past week, stronger rumours have been circulating about a possible Apple smart home hub set to launch at an event in New York.
What’s confirmed
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported that Apple is set to introduce smart home products on 13th October at an event titled Welcome Home. This has since been confirmed with a teaser reel, and the media event is set to take place in New York.
The long-awaited smart home hub with a screen, colloquially named the HomePad, is slated for the event, alongside a new HomePod mini smart speaker and an updated Apple TV model.
Rumours suggest the new screen-based smart home hub will feature a squareish touch screen on a dome-shaped base similar to the retro iMac G4, plus a wall-mounted version. Both could run a bespoke operating system.
Its feature set is likely to include control over HomeKit devices like lights, locks, cameras, and other automations, FaceTime support, a widget gallery as found on iOS devices, and a personalised home screen based on facial or voice recognition.
The refreshed HomePod mini would be the first new model since 2020, and it’s rumoured to come in five new colours.
What we don’t know
Pricing is the biggest open question. Rumours suggest around USD $299 for the entry-level hub, but all claims are unsubstantiated until next week.
There are rumoured to be several colour options that mirror older iPhone generations, including Silver, Space Grey, Starlight, and Rose Pink, but these are also unsubstantiated beyond a single screenshot and macOS data mining.
The display size on the so-called HomePad itself is unsettled too. Reports vary between 6 inches and 7 inches. Additionally, there’s no word on Australian pricing, availability, or a launch date.
The Apple Smart Home Hub is late to the party
Apple has tried and failed to launch in this category before, but with new leadership at the helm, we may see a compelling set of products. If any company is positioned to take on the incumbent kings of the smart home like Amazon and Google, it’s probably Apple.
A challenger to the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub would be a welcome shakeup, as competition often breeds innovation.
We’ll know more less than a week from now, and we’ll be sure to update with the specifics.
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