Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jul 28
Apple Eyes October Launch for 7-Inch HomePad as Siri Push Expands Smart Home Lineup
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jul 28

Apple Eyes October Launch for 7-Inch HomePad as Siri Push Expands Smart Home Lineup

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Jul 28

Summary

  • October is the earliest reported launch window for Apple’s rumored HomePad, a smart home hub with a 7-inch square display that could be announced anytime from then into early next year.
  • Bloomberg reports the device will run a new tvOS-based system with app grids, widgets and apps, centered on Apple’s revamped Siri AI and adding video chat, security and intercom features.
  • The hub is also said to personalize its interface by recognizing who is viewing it, adjusting text and icon sizes automatically across Apple Home use cases.
  • Apple reportedly delayed the product from a planned spring 2025 debut after pushing back its AI-upgraded Siri, and now appears to be timing it with iOS 27 and a broader smart-home push.
  • That expansion is said to include a security camera, a new Apple TV, a new HomePod mini and, later, a robotic arm device with a screen.

Insights

Is Apple’s new smart display really a gadget launch, or the first test of a much bigger AI-powered home strategy?
If Apple launches a $350 home hub this fall, what must it do better than Apple TV, HomePod, Echo Show, and Nest Hub?