Bloomberg: 6-inch display device to control lights, door locks and video calls

Apple CEO John Ternus attends the launch event for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in New York City on Sept. 18 (local time). [Reuters]
Apple CEO John Ternus attends the launch event for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in New York City on Sept. 18 (local time). [Reuters]

Apple plans to unveil a new home hub on Oct. 13 as part of its push into the smart home market, which the company has identified as a core next-generation business, Bloomberg reported Wednesday (local time), citing sources.

Apple also plans to announce an updated HomePod mini — its first refresh since the device launched in 2020 — alongside a new Apple TV set-top box, the first since 2022.

The products are expected to serve as the main stage for "Siri AI," a new AI assistant Apple has spent years developing. Siri AI, whose release has been delayed multiple times, is also set to roll out on iPhones, iPads and Macs this month.

Bloomberg said the moves signal Apple's bid to fight back in a smart home market where it has long trailed Amazon and Google, and will also serve as an early test of the leadership of CEO John Ternus, who took the helm a month ago.

The new smart home hub features a roughly 6-inch square display about as thin as an iPhone and will come in two versions — one for wall mounting and one for tabletop use.

The device can recognize the voices and faces of household members to display personalized schedules, messages, notes and preferred apps.

Users can control home lighting, door locks and thermostats, look up recipes while cooking, make video calls and listen to music.

The new HomePod mini and Apple TV set-top box announced alongside the hub will retain their existing designs but gain high-performance processors capable of running Apple's AI models.

"Apple entered the smart home market with the original HomePod in 2018 but struggled, and the HomePod mini also failed to gain a firm foothold," Bloomberg said. "This time, Apple is trying again by combining an AI-based operating system with a display."

Apple is also developing a premium version with a larger 9-inch display and a robotic arm that allows the device to rotate 360 degrees and move around.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com