Apple prepares retail store changes for upcoming HomePod mini, Apple TV refresh, and smart hub

Apple remains on track to launch its first smart home device with a screen before the end of the year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman reiterated that the device will use facial recognition to determine who is standing in front of it and serve up personalized content for that individual user. The description lines up with code found in macOS Tahoe 26.7 earlier this week, which revealed that the smart home hub will support multiple user profiles and use "ambient sensing" to verify identity. Apple is also readying a new Apple TV and an updated HomePod mini as part of the same renewed push into the home, according to Gurman. Apple's smart home hub has been rumored for years. It is rumored to feature a square, seven-inch display with a front-facing camera, running an operating system closer to tvOS than iOS, with a home screen built around quick-access widgets. Pricing is expected to land somewhere around $350. Apple originally intended to release the device in spring 2025, then targeted spring 2026, before pushing it back to September because Siri AI was not ready. Gurman reported over the weekend that Apple is rearranging sections of its retail stores to accommodate new smart home products.Related Roundups: Apple TV, HomePod miniTags: Apple Command Center, Bloomberg, Mark GurmanBuyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy), HomePod Mini (Don't Buy)Related Forums: Apple TV and Home Theater, HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto TechnologyThis article, "Apple Smart Home Display Still Coming This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Macworld It feels like forever since we started hearing rumors about Apple’s plans to make a more concerted effort in the smart home market. But now that the major component needed for such devices–Siri AI–is finally here, it appears that Apple has its new and updated smart home products on the release schedule. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is taking a major step towards releasing those products. The company is reconfiguring its Apple Stores to accommodate the updates to Apple TV and the HomePod mini, but the store changes aren’t simply about appropriating display space. “The planned modifications appear too extensive to be solely about routine updates to existing products,” said Gurman, who concludes that Apple is finally going to release its home hub. The home hub (which, at times, has been referred to as a HomePad) is Apple’s attempt at a central smart home device. It’s been reported that the home hub will have a 7-inch display, and it will feature a new operating system similar to watchOS in that it uses different widgets that the user interacts with. Since this UI is completely new, the Apple Stores need to be set up to properly demonstrate the device, its software, and the way it works with other devices. The Apple Store changes are coming this fall, though it’s not clear if “fall” means around the same time as the new iPhones or as late as November. Apple’s iPhone event is rumored to happen around September 9 and is expected to be one of the more momentous iPhone events, since Apple is expected to release its first folding phone. The home hub release is also a major release that’s worthy of more than a simple press release announcement. While Apple could present it at the iPhone event, it seems like the company would want to give it its own event, perhaps in October. Keep an eye on your local Apple Store; if you see some major changes, that means the home hub reveal is coming.

Apple is reportedly redesigning store displays to make room for the Apple Home Hub, alongside a new HomePod mini and Apple TV. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Apple is reportedly changing parts of its retail stores ahead of new Home hardware expected this autumn. The work will reportedly include modifications to display areas and additional accessory bays. While an updated Apple TV and HomePod mini are already expected, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes the scale of the changes could indicate preparations for Apple's first smart home hub with a display. The rumoured device could feature a 7-inch screen, tvOS-based software, Siri AI and smart home controls, with its launch reportedly expected later this year.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is reorganizing parts of its brick-and-mortar stores this fall to make room for new home products. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says the teams responsible for store layouts are preparing changes to the "Avenues," or the perimeter walls in Apple's newer stores, where accessories like HomePod, Apple TV, AirPods, and Beats are displayed alongside third-party accessories. The work is said to involve rearranging sections of the Avenues and adding accessory bays for upcoming new devices. Apple is already believed to have an upgraded Apple TV and a new HomePod mini coming up. Gurman said in July that both were nearly ready, with faster chips for Siri AI but no major design changes. Rumors indicate an A17 Pro chip or better in the new Apple TV, and an S9-series chip, improved sound, and a red finish for the HomePod mini, the current version of which is now over 2,000 days old. All of that being said, Gurman says the scale of the retail changes suggests prep-work for the launch of its long-awaited home hub with a display (aka the rumored HomePod with Display or "HomePad"). Gurman reported last month that the smart home hub will arrive at some point between October and early next year. It's expected to have a 7-inch square display, and will be sold with either a tabletop base or a wall mount. There's also said to be an all-new operating system built around tvOS with Siri AI powering the device. Code strings uncovered in macOS Tahoe 26.7 last week suggest the home screen will use a Widget Gallery similar to the iPhone's Lock Screen customization options. The code also indicates that the new device's home screen could have many of the same options for icons, widgets, and clock faces, with widgets from a linked iPhone suggested automatically. Apple will need a dedicated space where customers can see how the hub works, what its purpose is, and how it fits into the wider home setup, Gurman reports.Related Roundups: Apple TV, HomePod miniTag: Apple Command CenterBuyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy), HomePod Mini (Don't Buy)Related Forums: Apple TV and Home Theater, HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto TechnologyThis article, "Apple Retail Stores Preparing for New Home Product Launches" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

Visitors to Apple's retail outlets this fall can expect to see more smart home products on display, as Apple Stores prepare to push updates such as a new HomePod mini or even the fabled Home Hub.The current HomePod miniRumors have consistently pointed towards Apple making changes to its smart home lineup, and it seems to be finally arriving this fall. It now appears that Apple is also preparing a retail push for the new hardware.In Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman writes that teams who work on retail store layouts are making space to put new products on show. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing significant changes at its retail stores in preparation for upcoming Home product launches. At the very least, Apple should debut a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K this fall, though the changes would suggest a third, more significant product is also on its way.