Apple prepares to unveil its first dedicated smart home hub on 13 October, signalling a major shift in its connected home strategy with AI-powered features and new partnerships, positioning itself to rival Google and Amazon in the burgeoning market.
Apple appears ready to make its most serious move yet into the smart home, with Bloomberg reporting that the company plans to unveil a new home hub on 13 October. The product is understood to be the centrepiece of a broader push under new chief executive John Ternus, signalling a more expansive phase for the group beyond its traditional line-up of phones, computers and wearables.
According to Bloomberg, the hub is expected to be the first of several devices tied to a revised home strategy. The company is also said to be preparing updated versions of the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K, both of which have been long overdue for refreshes. MacRumors reported that Siri AI is expected to be the key feature across the new range, suggesting Apple wants the devices to serve as a more intelligent control layer for connected homes rather than as simple speakers or streaming boxes.
The new hub itself is reported to be built around a display of roughly six inches, with the option to mount it on a wall or place it on a stand. Bloomberg has described it as a device designed to handle home controls, video calls, music playback and general information at a glance. That would put it in direct competition with products such as Google’s Nest Hub and Amazon’s Echo Show, while Apple’s pitch would rely heavily on tighter integration with its own software and services.
Behind the hardware, Apple is also believed to be developing a new operating system for the device. MacRumors reported that the platform mixes elements of tvOS, watchOS and iOS, with a grid of app icons, widgets and customisable clock faces. The software is also said to support multi-user use, facial recognition and personalised content, with built-in Apple apps including Calendar, Camera, Apple Music, Podcasts, News, Reminders and Notes. That would make the hub less like a speaker with a screen and more like a dedicated household interface.
Bloomberg also says Apple is working with LG Electronics on a wider family of smart-home accessories intended to connect to the platform. MacRumors reported that LG has filed documents for products including a wired video doorbell, thermostat, smart deadbolt lock, indoor and outdoor security cameras, a temperature sensor and a floodlight camera. The filings do not name Apple, but Bloomberg says Apple helped develop the devices. Whether that ecosystem will be available in Europe is unclear, especially given the company’s continuing dispute with EU rules on openness and competition in digital systems.
For Apple, the timing matters. The company has spent years moving cautiously in the connected-home market, but the reported October launch suggests a more coordinated effort is finally under way. If Bloomberg’s reporting is correct, the 13 October rollout may be only the start of a longer product cycle that also includes a new MacBook Pro with an OLED display and touch support later in the month or in November. For now, the smart home looks set to become one of the clearest signs of what the Ternus era could mean for Apple’s product strategy.
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