Apple's biggest push into the smart home is finally getting a date. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple plans to unveil three new home products on Tuesday, October 13: the long-rumored smart home hub often called the “HomePad,” a second-generation HomePod mini, and a fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.
The report landed on September 30, ending years of delays for hardware that was originally expected as far back as 2024.
The timing is notable. Daring Fireball's John Gruber had separately floated October 13 as the day Apple would hand iPhone Duo review units to journalists in person, and Gurman's report matched that date.
The iPhone Duo is scheduled to launch on October 23, with pre-orders opening October 12, making mid-October one of the busiest weeks on Apple's calendar in years.
A New Category, Centered on Siri AI
The star of the lineup is the all-new home hub, internally code-named J490. Reporting describes a roughly 6- to 7-inch square display that will be offered in tabletop and wall-mounted versions, with the tabletop model said to resemble Apple's classic iMac G4, the display floating above a rounded speaker base.
It is expected to run an A18 chip or newer to support Apple Intelligence, with facial recognition, FaceTime, widgets, clock faces and a new operating system that may be called homeOS.
Siri AI is expected to be the key new feature across all three devices. Apple delayed the home hardware after the initial Apple Intelligence backlash, reportedly wanting the upgraded assistant to work properly before shipping the products.
Gruber argued there is “no way” Apple would reveal an all-new device with an all-new interface through a Newsroom press release alone, suggesting an online keynote video with hands-on demos for the media instead.
Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 Get the Works
The new Apple TV 4K is expected to move to an A19 or A19 Pro chip with 8GB to 12GB of RAM, up from the current model's memory, plus Apple's custom N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support and an updated Siri Remote. A leak revealed the new Apple TV will look the same as the existing model, with the upgrades concentrated inside.
The HomePod mini 2 keeps its familiar design but gains a newer chip for Siri AI support, the N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for smoother handoffs, improved sound quality, and new color options including pink and green.
One rumored product is explicitly not coming in October: the full-sized HomePod, which Gurman says Apple aims to update “eventually” at a later date.
Why This Launch Matters
Apple has lagged rivals in the smart home despite owning the HomeKit platform. A dedicated hub with a display finally gives the company a direct answer to devices that have dominated the category for years, and launching it alongside refreshed TV and speaker hardware signals Apple's first coordinated smart home push rather than piecemeal updates.
Looking further out, Appleosophy reports Apple is also working on a privacy-focused home security camera and a higher-end version of the home hub with a larger display on a more adjustable robotic arm that could rotate 360 degrees.
Other products expected before 2026 ends include an OLED iPad mini and M6-based MacBook Pro and iMac models, with high-end MacBook Pro models sporting OLED displays also in the pipeline.
