Apple Welcome Home event may reveal smart-home hub
Apple’s 13 October event could introduce a smart-home hub alongside refreshed HomePod Mini and Apple TV hardware.
Apple’s “Welcome Home” event is scheduled for 13 October in New York, and the company is expected to use it to expand its smart-home hardware push. The event is tipped to include a new home hub, refreshed HomePod Mini and Apple TV hardware, plus possible partner devices.12
A new home hub at the centre
The reported headline product is a square, roughly six-inch touchscreen that could sit on a table or mount to a wall. It may use voice or facial recognition to surface personal contacts, calendars and other information, with an iPhone providing a secondary identity check. Apple has not publicly confirmed the product’s final name or specifications.1
A new software platform called homeOS is also expected. Reports suggest it would bring together elements of iOS, tvOS and watchOS, with smart-home controls, FaceTime and familiar Apple apps built in. Those details remain reports rather than confirmed product specifications.12
HomePod Mini and Apple TV could get modest updates
The HomePod Mini and Apple TV are expected to keep their existing designs while gaining newer processors and support for Apple’s latest AI features. The HomePod Mini may also arrive in additional colours. Apple’s event page provides the official event context, while the product details remain subject to change before the presentation.2
Our opinion
Apple’s event matters less because every rumour will land and more because the company is finally expected to show how its smart-home pieces fit together. Until Apple takes the stage, the hub’s name, price, availability and exact capabilities should all be treated as unconfirmed.