Apple is expected to make its biggest smart-home move in years on Tuesday, as the company hosts an “Apple Experience” event in New York where reports point to a new smart home hub alongside refreshed Apple TV and HomePod mini hardware.
The event begins at 9 a.m. ET in Tribeca, teased last week by marketing chief Greg Joswiak with the words “Welcome home. October 13.” Apple has not confirmed whether the morning will include a livestreamed keynote or center on hands-on time with new hardware for invited press, according to reporting by 9to5Mac.
A HomePod with a screen at the center
The centerpiece, according to reporting by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman carried by Apple watchers, is a smart home hub — often called HomePad and developed under the codename J490. It is described as a cross between an iPad and a HomePod: a roughly six-inch square display meant for shared household use, with voice as the primary interface. An overhauled Siri is expected to handle lighting and accessory control, FaceTime calls, video, news, weather and calendar features.
Two versions are rumored: a wall-mountable model and a tabletop version with a half-dome speaker base reminiscent of the iMac G4. A camera and presence sensor could recognize who is in the room and surface a personalized layout of widgets and apps. Pricing chatter has floated around $350, though Apple has confirmed nothing — and every detail today should be treated as reported, not official, until Apple says it on stage.
Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini join the lineup
Alongside the hub, Apple is expected to refresh two products that have gone years without major updates. The Apple TV 4K is reportedly in line for a newer chip with more memory, Apple Intelligence support, a revised Siri Remote, an Apple-designed wireless chip and Wi-Fi 7. The HomePod mini is expected in new colors, with beta software code hinting at a possible display. The hub itself was reportedly delayed while Apple waited for a more capable Siri — which makes today’s event a public test of whether the assistant is finally ready for the living room, and whether Apple can carve out space against Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub in a category it has long watched from the sidelines.
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