Apple has been a bit quiet on the smart home hardware front – the latest HomePod launched in early 2023 and we haven’t had a new Apple TV model for over 2 years – but that is all set to dramatically change soon, according to a couple of well renowned tipsters.
First up is the potential wall mounted home hub, which has actually been doing the rumor rounds for a while now, but has been further detailed by Mark Gurman over on Bloomberg.
Looking like an Apple-flavored Echo Hub, Apple’s wall mounted display looks set to be more smart home focused than simply slapping an iPad on the wall.
Described by Gurman as a device that “can control appliances, handle videoconferencing and use AI to navigate apps,” we’re told we can expect it to land as early as March next year.
Codenamed J490, Apple’s new smart home hub will apparently boast AI Intelligence, recently launched on the latest top-end iPhones, and is said to be a top priority for CEO Tim Cook as he attempts to catch up on the likes of Google, and especially Amazon, who have stolen a march when it comes to smart home control.
As mentioned, Apple’s “roughly 6-inch… square” wall mounted display will go head-to-head with the likes of the Echo Hub and a lot of the reported features are very similar, such as a standby screen that comes to life when it detects a presence, with the screen to be filled with App Intents – which sound like AI powered widgets.
Siri will, of course, be on hand for voice controls and you’ll be able to control all of your HomeKit connected devices, either by voice commands or tapping on the display.
The report doesn’t mention it but I’d bet a large chunk of change that – like the HomePod 2 – it will also be capable of Thread border routing and Matter control.
Gurman also mentions a more expensive version coming down the line with a “robotic limb that can move the screen around.”
Also on the radar of the Cupertino tech giant, and a category we’ve not seen the brand involved directly before is a purported new smart security camera.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has made a name for himself over the years successfully tipping what’s next for Apple, has suggested that “mass production is scheduled for 2026, targeting annual shipments in the tens of millions.”
Apple already has a pretty capable smart security camera back end called HomeKit Secure Video that the likes of Aqara, Ezviz and Logitech make use of, but a native camera will, again, see it take on the likes of Google and Amazon who already make their own (albeit through brands they acquired.)
So a move into the camera market kind of makes sense, although I’ll be interested to see how Apple glams up what is, let’s face it, a pretty dull but practical area of consumer tech.
With all of these rumors flying around it seems certain that Apple wants more control over people’s smart homes and to further tie them into that all-important Apple walled garden.
Apple users love that their devices work in harmony and, by taking third parties out of the equation, that seamless integration will only get stronger.
