Apple’s long-rumoured smart home push could finally be about to take shape.
According to a new Bloomberg report, the company is preparing a wave of home-focused hardware led by Siri AI. This includes a refreshed HomePod mini, a new Apple TV, and the much-discussed Home Hub. All are expected to arrive between October 2026 and early 2027.
Rather than introducing standalone smart home features, Apple is reportedly building its next generation of devices around its upgraded AI-powered Siri. This suggests the assistant will become the centre piece of its connected home strategy.
The most intriguing addition is the long-rumoured Home Hub. According to the report, the device will feature a roughly seven-inch square display mounted on a half-dome base. This gives it a look reminiscent of a HomePod mini with a screen. It’s expected to act as a central smart home controller. It will handle everything from HomeKit devices and smart locks to FaceTime calls, home security monitoring and intercom features.
The display is also said to double as a household information hub. It will show calendars, daily schedules and personal photos, with customizable clock faces when idle. One particularly interesting feature is facial recognition. This would allow the Home Hub to identify who’s standing in front of it and tailor the information shown accordingly. Additionally, the interface is also expected to adapt based on viewing distance. It will display more detailed information when someone is nearby, while switching to larger, simplified controls when viewed from across the room.
Alongside the new hub, Apple is also said to be preparing refreshed versions of two existing products. A new HomePod mini is reportedly on the way with a faster processor capable of handling Siri AI. Meanwhile, a redesigned Apple TV is also expected to receive an upgraded chip for the same purpose. Bloomberg reports the HomePod mini could cost $129. At the same time, the new Apple TV is tipped to launch at $199.
Interestingly, Apple is also said to be planning a second version of the Home Hub. Unlike the initial tabletop model, this later variant would reportedly attach to walls or other surfaces using a magnetic mounting system. This hints that Apple ultimately envisions multiple Home Hubs spread throughout the home rather than a single central device.
The timeline also sheds some light on why Apple’s smart home ambitions have taken longer than expected. Previous reports suggested new hardware was originally planned much earlier, but delays to Siri AI pushed the entire roadmap back. That could also explain why Apple said relatively little about new HomePod or Apple TV hardware during WWDC. This was despite highlighting the future of Siri elsewhere.
If the report proves accurate, the next 12 months could mark Apple’s biggest smart home expansion in years. Instead of simply refreshing existing products, the company appears to be building an ecosystem where Siri AI becomes the interface connecting HomePods, Apple TV, HomeKit devices and an entirely new category of home hub. That is a strategy that would put Apple in more direct competition with Amazon’s Alexa+ and Google’s Gemini-powered smart home ambitions.
