Apple’s long-delayed smart home push finally has a date on the calendar. October 13.
According to Reuters, citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning its long-delayed push into the smart home market on October 13 with a brand-new hub code-named J490 — the device the rumor community has nicknamed the “HomePad.” The launch would be one of the first major product expansions under Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, who took over earlier this month.
A square screen that knows who’s looking at it
At the center of the plan is J490, a roughly 6-inch square display that comes in countertop and wall-mounted versions. GSMArena, recapping Gurman’s design reporting, describes the tabletop model as sitting on a round metal base with a tilting metal arm — a look 9to5Mac likens to the iconic iMac G4. It runs on USB-C power with no battery inside.
The real trick is personalization. The hub reportedly recognizes household members by voice or facial recognition and swaps in their contacts, messages, calendar appointments, notes, and preferred app layouts. When someone else walks up, the interface switches to them. A guest mode hides personal information from visitors, and the iPhone can serve as a fallback authenticator if the hub misidentifies anyone.
Siri AI is the whole point
Every one of the three devices centers on Siri AI, Apple’s revamped and more capable voice assistant unveiled in June. The hub reportedly runs a brand-new operating system blending iOS, tvOS, and watchOS elements — widgets, clock faces, and home controls — built around the assistant. Gurman expects Siri AI to use personal context across a user’s devices: ask it to find a photo someone sent you, play a podcast a friend mentioned, or take a more precise action in Notes, Reminders, or Calendar.
HomePod mini and Apple TV get their first refreshes in years
The hub won’t launch alone. Apple is also expected to announce its first HomePod mini update since the speaker’s 2020 debut and its first new Apple TV set-top box since 2022. Both keep their existing designs, per the report, but gain faster processors so they can run the same more powerful Siri AI models — making this a coordinated three-device rollout rather than a one-off gadget drop.
How Apple got here
- 2020–2022: HomePod mini debuts (2020), then the last Apple TV refresh (2022). Apple’s home lineup sits untouched for years.
- Earlier reporting: Apple had the hub on its roadmap as far back as 2024 but held the hardware until the revamped Siri was ready.
- June 2026: Apple unveils its long-delayed Siri overhaul as part of a broader AI push.
- September 2026: John Ternus takes over as CEO, with analysts expecting a renewed hardware focus.
- October 13, 2026: the reported launch date for the hub, HomePod mini update, and new Apple TV.
None of this is confirmed by Apple yet, and October 13 is a well-sourced expectation rather than an official date. But Gurman’s track record on Apple product timing is strong, and two tier-1 outlets are now carrying the story.
Why this matters
This is the first time Apple is treating the home as a product category rather than a side project. Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub have owned the wall and the kitchen counter for nearly a decade, while Apple mostly watched from the sidelines with HomeKit and third-party accessories.
What makes the HomePad genuinely different is the multi-user angle. Most smart displays are still effectively single-account devices, and Apple’s bet is that a screen that recognizes who’s standing in front of it is the feature the category has been missing. If Siri AI actually delivers on its personal-context promises, the hub becomes Apple’s wedge into the one room the iPhone doesn’t already own. If it doesn’t, it’s an expensive clock on the wall.
Meanwhile in AI Tech:
The assistant powering all of this is evolving fast — check our coverage of OpenAI’s GPT-6.1 launch at DevDay and the White House meeting between Trump and AI CEOs.
