Apple prepares Siri AI smart home hub with updated Apple TV and HomePod mini

Apple has a whole new lineup of smart home gear ready to go, but there’s a catch: they’re holding everything back until the new AI-powered Siri is actually ready. According to Bloomberg, the upcoming hardware includes an upgraded Apple TV 4K, a new HomePod mini, and a brand-new Siri AI smart display designed to act […]

Apple is preparing its most significant expansion into the smart home category to date, built around a redesigned Siri AI assistant, according to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. After years of being seen as a laggard in the smart home space, the company is now readying a hub device, a new Apple TV set-top box, and a refreshed HomePod mini as part of this renewed push.What Bloomberg's report revealsCiting people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that Apple plans to kick off this wave of home products soon with a hub device built around the new Siri AI assistant, and is also preparing to release a new TV set-top box and refreshed HomePod mini. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of Apple's internal plans. According to the report, the updated Apple TV and HomePod mini are expected to launch this fall, while the long-awaited smart home hub featuring a screen is targeted for release between the end of the year and early next year.The Siri-powered home hub, Apple's most ambitious betThe hub, according to other reports building on Gurman's reporting, is expected to feature a roughly 7-inch display and run on an operating system that borrows elements from tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, supporting FaceTime calls, smart home controls, and home security monitoring. Two versions of the device are reportedly planned, one that sits on a base resembling a HomePod mini cut in half for countertop use, and a second, base-free version designed to mount magnetically to walls in spaces like kitchens and hallways.The hub has reportedly been in development since 2024 and has slipped past several internal deadlines, having originally been targeted for spring 2025 before repeatedly being pushed back, largely because its usefulness depends entirely on Apple finally shipping a reworked, conversational version of Siri capable of understanding personal context.Apple TV and HomePod mini get quieter, more functional updatesUnlike the hub, the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini are not expected to see major design changes. Both devices are said to retain their existing appearance while gaining faster processors necessary to run the new Siri AI features at all. Pricing for the devices has been pegged at around $199 for the Apple TV and $129 for the HomePod mini, according to industry reports building on Gurman's account.Further down the roadBeyond this initial wave, Apple is reportedly already working on additional home hardware, including an in-home security camera and a higher-end version of the home hub featuring a larger, roughly 9-inch display mounted on a robotic arm capable of physically turning to follow a user during FaceTime calls.

Apple is reportedly preparing to expand its smart home portfolio with three new Siri AI-powered devices. The lineup will likely include a smart home hub, a refreshed Apple TV and an updated HomePod mini, with launches expected from this autumn through early next year. The hub is tipped to offer facial recognition, smart home controls and a new software platform based on tvOS. Apple is also said to be developing additional home products, including a robotic hub with a movable 9-inch screen.

Apple's long-rumoured smart home hub could finally arrive in 2026, alongside a refreshed Apple TV and HomePod mini. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple is preparing a new push into the smart home market with fresh devices and software, including a hub device built around the new Siri AI assistant, according to sources. Bloomberg's Dana Wollman joins Ed Ludlow on "Bloomberg Tech." (Source: Bloomberg)

Macworld Apple has been planning a resurgence into the smart home market for some time. But, according to multiple reports over the years, Siri has always been the holdup—the initial Apple Intelligence push didn’t deliver, and the company had to rethink its entire “new Siri” approach. With the OS 27 updates, we’re getting Siri AI, and it’s finally a modern, useful, smart AI assistant. Apple still has plenty of work to do, but this new Siri finally makes the leap from an old-style phone assistant to a modern multi-device LLM-based AI chatbot. Now that Siri is finally on the right track, Apple is finally able to release some of the smart home products it has been working on for a while. According to a new report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple is sitting on three products that are very nearly ready to release. Two are updated versions of existing products: Apple TV and HomePod mini. They are expected to look just like the current versions, but with upgraded processors that can handle Siri AI. There may be other internal adjustments or design changes, but nothing users would notice. Both of these devices are currently set to release in the fall, Gurman says. The third device is the most interesting one: A new smart home hub device that has been dubbed HomePad. Meant to be “the centerpiece of the company’s renewed home push,” it will be a new pad device with a 7-inch square-shaped display that runs an entirely new operating system based on the tvOS operating system that powers Apple TV. It is said to look something like a blend between watchOS and iOS, with icons, widgets, and apps. This new smart display will feature FaceTime video conferencing (almost certainly with Center Stage), and most of the other features people expect from this sort of device, such as the ability to listen to music, view photos, see your calendar, and control smart home devices. Similar to Apple Watch, there will be a variety of customizable clock faces, but the marquee feature will reportedly be facial recognition. The device will know who is looking at it and their distance, so it can adjust the display preferences and size in real time. Gurman says there are two versions of this smart home hub coming. One of them puts the display on top of a half-dome base that resembles a HomePod mini cut in half. The other has no base but is meant to attach to walls with a magnetic system. Apple intends people to put multiple units throughout their home. It’s not clear how much it will cost, but earlier reports pegged the starting price at around $349. Gurman says there are at least two more devices further out, including an in-home smart security camera and a higher-end version of the home hub with a 9-inch screen on a robotic limb that can turn and move as necessary.