Apple is about to launch its next entirely new product, according to reports.
The company has long been rumoured to be working on a push into the smart home, with rumours suggesting that it is working on everything from home cameras to new smart speakers. But, despite years of rumours, any actual launches of such a product has not yet arrived.
Now, the company is about to launch the first of those products: a new home hub that is something like an iPad that can be mounted on a wall or a counter, according to Bloomberg. It will serve primarily as a way for users to interact with Siri, which has recently undergone a complete overhaul to add new artificial intelligence features.
The launch of that product is planned for 13 October, the report claimed, though it remains unclear exactly what form that launch will take. And it will come alongside upgrades of its HomePod Mini speaker and the Apple TV, both of which will keep their existing designs but get new processors so that they can use Siri’s more powerful AI models, Bloomberg said.
While Apple has long been rumoured to be working on such new products and upgrades, it is believed that the introduction of that new Siri has held them back. Apple has been resistant to launching the products without a satisfactory version of the virtual assistant to run on them, rumours have suggested.
Apple launched that new version of Siri – which uses artificial intelligence and an understanding of everything on a person’s phone to provide more useful answers – with the release of iOS 27 and its other software updates earlier this month. That means that Apple is now ready to launch the products themselves.
The new home hub is about as thick as an iPhone and has a display that looks similar to older iPads, Bloomberg reported. It is made to be plugged into the wall and left around the house.
Multiple members of a household will be able to use it, the report said. It will use cameras and microphones to able to recognise who is speaking to it, and then use that to show their own personal data, by pulling from their online accounts, Bloomberg reported.
To keep that data secure, it will use a facial recognition system, the report claimed. It is less secure than the Face ID system on the iPhone, but users will be able to require it to authenticate with another device if they want additional security.
Once the device recognises a person, it will show their messages and appointments, as well as adjusting its display to their preferences, the report claimed. It can then change if someone else approaches, and hide data if visitors are inside the house, it said.
Apple hopes that people will put a number of the devices around their house. They could be used to control smart devices, communicate between different home hubs, play music and look through photos, Bloomberg suggested.
The company is also working on different versions of the home hub. One is made to mount on a wall, for instance, and another that is still under development has a larger screen on a robotic arm that allows it to move around.
The software on all of the products will borrow from other designs already present on Apple’s existing products. It will use the existing visual style of Siri, for instance, and a home screen that borrows from the iPad’s app designs and the Apple Watch’s icons, as well as the iPhone’s widgets.
There may also have been a hint of some of its features in the iPhone Duo, launched earlier this month. During that reveal, Apple showed off new designs for its StandBy mode – intended to work as an ambient display, and launched when the foldable phone is sat on a surface like a tent – and the home hub may have similar features including new clocks and data.
Apple is also working on improving its smart home ecosystem, Bloomberg reported. That will include a new software framework to control other devices, working with third-party manufacturers to make smart home accessories that work with Siri.
