Apple’s long-awaited smart home hub is reportedly launching on October 13
The “HomePad” will sport an iMac G4-like design
It’ll come with a 6-inch screen on the top and a speaker on the bottom
It’ll rely heavily on Siri AI for its functionality, and it can be personalized for everyone in the home
So far, we don’t know how much it’ll cost
Apple is reportedly launching one of its most anticipated new products on October 13: the HomePad. The company’s long-awaited smart home display is just under two weeks away, according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg. That’s the same day we expect a refreshed HomePod mini to launch, as well as an upgraded Apple TV 4K and baseline iPad.
The highly-rumored HomePad will reportedly come with a design similar to the iMac G4, with a 6-inch display that floats atop a base that doubles as a speaker. The device will come in two different variations: one where the display is permanently mounted to the speaker, and another where the display can be mounted to a wall for smart home controls.
It’s expected to run a brand new operating system called “homeOS” that’ll merge elements of iOS, watchOS, and tvOS, with support for making FaceTime calls, playing music, watching videos, and researching information. Smart home controls will be at the core of the experience, helping to give HomeKit-compatible devices a stronger home base than anything Apple’s provided before.
Rumors also suggest it’ll be able to recognize different users when you walk up to it. Whether through facial, voice, or device recognition, it’ll present you with personal, contextual information on the screen when you walk up to it so that you can inquire about things on your personal calendar, play your playlists, and more.
Gurman has previously shared that the HomePad’s screen will loosely resemble two iPhones sitting next to each other, and it’ll be about as thick as an iPhone. In addition, it’ll run over USB-C for power and come in a silver finish.
We don’t know how much the HomePad will cost, nor what its actual name will be. But if the October 13 date is accurate, we don’t have much longer to wait until we find out.
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Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.