Apple has confirmed a “Welcome home” Experience in New York on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. BST). A new HomePod mini and Apple’s first smart-home display are expected to feature alongside an updated Apple TV 4K. Invited journalists will attend a New York gathering. We’ll cover the announcement in our Welcome Home live blog.
For much of 2025 and 2026, Apple’s revamped Siri was the thing holding those products back. That’s no longer the case: Siri AI has now arrived with Apple’s OS 27 updates, removing one of the biggest obstacles to launching the new hardware. The HomePod mini 2 appears to be particularly close, with Apple code discovered in September 2026 revealing images of the unreleased speaker and its five colors, while Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in July that a new HomePod mini, Apple TV and smart home display are among Apple’s upcoming home products.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple’s smart-home display will be called HomeView. Earlier reports used placeholder names including “HomePad,” “Smart Home Hub,” “Personal Hub” and “HomePod Touch” – these names are used for different rumored products or concepts, rather than confirmed Apple names. In this article, we’re using “HomePad,” “Smart Home Hub” and “HomeView” for the standalone smart display reportedly being developed for smart-home controls, Siri AI and video calls, while “HomePod Touch” refers specifically to reports about a HomePod-style speaker with an integrated touchscreen.
There may ultimately be some overlap between these products, and some of the rumored concepts could be combined, renamed or never released at all. Below, we separate what is currently known about each device and when it is likely to arrive.
Apple is reportedly developing several new HomePod and smart-home products. The names below aren’t official Apple names; where necessary, we’re using placeholder names to distinguish between the different rumored devices.
| Placeholder name | What is it | When |
|---|---|---|
| HomePod mini 2 | New HomePod mini with the same basic design, new colors, faster processor and Siri AI support. | Announcement expected October 13; in stores October 30, according to Gurman. |
| HomePad/Smart Home Hub/HomeView | 6-inch smart display with Siri AI, Home controls, apps and camera; tabletop and wall-mounted versions expected. | Announcement expected October 13; in stores October 30, according to Gurman. |
| HomePod 3 | Next-generation full-size HomePod with faster hardware and Siri AI support | In development, but reportedly not imminent. |
| HomePod Touch | HomePod with a built-in 6-inch touchscreen. | Uncertain; no firm launch window. |
| Robotic home screen | Display mounted on a robotic arm | 2027 or beyond. |
| Security camera | Apple-designed home security camera | Timing uncertain. |
| LG smart-home accessories | Reported Apple/LG collaboration on a doorbell, lock, thermostat and security cameras | October 13 announcement rumored; availability potentially months later. |
Apple’s next generation of smart-home products appears to have been delayed largely because of Siri. The company was developing a much more capable version of Siri for Apple Intelligence, while the processors inside the current HomePod mini and second-generation HomePod weren’t designed to run Apple’s latest AI features.
That created a problem for new HomePod hardware. Apple was reportedly preparing products such as a new HomePod mini and smart home display around the capabilities of the redesigned assistant, but Siri’s delayed development meant the hardware couldn’t launch as originally expected.
That situation has now changed. Siri AI arrived with Apple’s OS 27 updates in September 2026, removing one of the main dependencies that had been holding back Apple’s smart-home plans. Recent reports suggest the HomePod mini 2 and Apple’s smart home display are among the products closest to release.
The full-size HomePod appears to be on a different timetable, however. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in September that Apple is testing a new full-size HomePod with Siri AI support, but said it “doesn’t appear to be imminent.” That means we no longer expect the HomePod 3 to necessarily arrive alongside the HomePod mini 2.
Apple’s first smart-home display, provisionally called HomePad, is expected to be unveiled at the confirmed October 13 “Welcome home” Experience. Gurman reports that the display will reach stores in mid-November.
Invited journalists will attend a New York gathering, but Apple has not confirmed a public livestream. Product announcements could appear on its website alongside the media experience. We’ll cover the announcement in our Welcome Home live blog.
The product had originally been expected earlier in 2026, but its launch was repeatedly pushed back while Apple completed the Siri AI technology that arrived with its September OS 27 updates. Gurman previously reported that the hardware had been ready for some time, with Siri the main reason for the delay.
Apple’s own software has also provided evidence that the product is approaching launch. References discovered in macOS identify J490/HomeAccessory17,1 and J491/HomeAccessory17,2, which are believed to correspond to the tabletop and wall-mounted versions of Apple’s smart home hub.
The HomePad – also referred to as Apple’s Smart Home Hub or home display – is expected to be a compact 6-inch smart display designed to act as a central interface for the home. It would combine Siri AI, smart-home controls, FaceTime, media playback and Apple services in a device intended to remain plugged in on a countertop, desk, bedside table or wall.
The latest reports suggest that it will be considerably smaller than many earlier concept images implied. A six-inch square display would measure only about 4.25 inches across each side, making it much more of a close-up personal device than an iPad-sized family display. It is likely to be more “desk scale” than “room scale.”
Apple’s new Siri AI is expected to be central to the HomePad experience. Its delayed development appears to have been one of the main reasons the hardware did not launch earlier.
Foundry / ChatGPT
Reported features include:
Other software clues and reports suggest the device could also offer:
Other clues about HomePad software:
We’ll start off with the rumors about the HomePod mini 2. The HomePod mini is Apple’s smaller, more affordable smart speaker. The new model is expected to offer a new selection of colors, a major processor upgrade and improved connectivity.
Foundry
Apple introduced the original HomePod mini in November 2020, so it is now nearly six years old and overdue for an update.
The HomePod mini 2 is expected to be announced at Apple’s October 13 “Welcome home” event. Apple has invited media to an Experience. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman puts retail availability at October 30.
Rumours of a successor have circulated for more than a year. In January 2025, reports suggested a launch toward the end of 2025, and Gurman subsequently said that new HomePod mini and Apple TV models were expected in fall 2025. Those products never materialised.
Attention then shifted to spring 2026, with reports suggesting Apple’s new smart home devices would launch alongside its redesigned Siri. However, that timetable also slipped as Apple continued work on its AI-powered assistant.
The current HomePod mini is available in Midnight, White, Blue, Yellow and Orange. In September, MacRumors spotted Apple code that revealed five colors for the new model: black, blue, green, pink, and white.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in September 2025, that Apple has tested additional colors for the next-generation model, including red, but it appears that red didn’t make the final cut.
Otherwise, the HomePod mini 2 is expected to retain the same compact, spherical design as the current model, with no major external changes rumored. Instead, Apple is reportedly focusing on upgraded internal hardware, including an S9 or newer chip capable of supporting Apple’s latest Siri AI features.
Beyond the color changes revealed in Apple code, the main expected hardware upgrade is a newer processor capable of supporting Siri AI. Reports also point to newer Apple networking and Ultra Wideband hardware, along with possible audio improvements.
The larger HomePod is more expensive than the HomePod mini, delivering richer, louder audio with deeper bass and spatial audio. The next generation is expected to get a processor upgrade, improved connectivity and better sound.
Michael Brown/Foundry
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in September 2026 that Apple was testing a new full-size HomePod with Siri AI support, but that the release did not appear to be imminent.
Unlike the HomePod mini 2, there are relatively few leaks about hardware upgrades coming to the full-size HomePod. However, it’s expected to receive the same core internal upgrades needed to support Apple’s AI ambitions.
Expected improvements include:
In September, a post by itspdfu, who has a history of posting leaks online, said that audioOS27, the operating system for HomePod devices, supports Siri AI. The same source claimed that a future HomePod could also include new animations for its top display.
Beyond these internal upgrades, some reports suggest Apple is experimenting with a HomePod featuring a built-in display. That device is expected to be a separate product rather than a standard HomePod 3, and we cover those rumours in the next section.
Apple has been rumored to be working on a HomePod with a screen for years, although exactly what form that product will take remains unclear. Older reports have described a HomePod-style speaker with an integrated touchscreen, sometimes referred to unofficially as a “HomePod Touch.”
There is considerable uncertainty here because some older reports about a “HomePod with a display” may describe the same product that more recent reports characterize as Apple’s HomePad or smart home hub. We are treating the HomePod Touch separately here only where reports specifically describe a HomePod-style speaker with an integrated screen.
Foundry and Apple
Apple has been working on redesigning the HomePod to include a display for some time. Back in March 2023, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed Apple would “unveil a redesigned HomePod featuring a 7-inch panel.” Kuo initially expected this product to arrive in the first half of 2024, but that timeline slipped. In December 2024, he reported further delays had pushed the launch to after WWDC 2025, citing software development challenges. Then, in March 2025, Kuo suggested the device had been delayed again, due to Apple Intelligence setbacks.
Those predictions have all passed without a product appearing. Siri AI has since arrived, but there is currently no firm report giving this touchscreen HomePod a new launch date. It is therefore possible that earlier reports referred to a product that has evolved, been delayed further, or overlaps with Apple’s separately reported HomePad project.
HomePod with display incoming?
Foundry
One of the biggest limitations of today’s HomePod is that almost every interaction relies on Siri. A built-in display would provide a more direct way to control music, manage smart home devices and access information, putting Apple’s device in direct competition with the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub.
According to current rumours, Apple’s display-equipped HomePod will feature a 6-7-inch touchscreen and run a touch-optimised version of homeOS, allowing it to function as both a smart speaker and a smart home hub. Unlike existing HomePods, it is expected to use a far more powerful A-series chip – possibly an A18 or similar – to support Apple’s redesigned AI-powered Siri and the more demanding graphical interface.
Rumoured features:
If accurate, this would represent Apple’s biggest expansion of the HomePod lineup since its debut, transforming it from a voice-first speaker into a full smart home controller.
Ben Patterson/Foundry
Apple is also developing a much more ambitious smart-home device that shouldn’t be confused with the HomePad expected first (see above).
As far back as April 2021, Mark Gurman described a high-end device combining a HomePod speaker, a touchscreen, and a camera mounted on a robotic arm that could follow the user around the room during video calls. Gurman has made various references to this over the years.
The device, previously identified as J595, is reportedly an iPad-like display attached to a motorized robotic arm. The arm would allow the screen to move and reposition itself, potentially following a person around the room during FaceTime calls or turning toward whoever is speaking.
Bloomberg has described it as a higher-end smart-home command center that could combine videoconferencing, home controls and security functions. Unlike the stationary HomePad, this appears to be a significantly more complex—and probably more expensive—product. Earlier reports have suggested a price that could reach around $1,000.
The robotic display is also believed to be further away than the HomePad. Previous reports placed it in late 2026 or 2027 at the earliest, and Apple’s more recent software leaks have focused on the J490 and J491 stationary home hubs rather than J595.
Reported capabilities include:
Reports suggest cameras could support FaceTime, security monitoring and potentially recognition of users or gestures. Apple has also previously filed patents describing HomePod-related gesture controls, although patents do not necessarily indicate features destined for a shipping product.
There is a rumor that LG accessories could accompany Apple’s smart-home launch
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working with LG on a doorbell, smart lock, thermostat and security cameras. These accessories could be announced on October 13, but reportedly would not reach customers for several more months.
The products are expected to carry LG branding, with LG handling manufacturing and support. They are separate from the Apple-branded accessories also rumored to be in development. A separate leak from itspdfu points to an LG temperature and humidity sensor.
The biggest limitation of today’s HomePods isn’t their speakers – it’s their processors. The HomePod mini still uses the Apple Watch S5 chip introduced in 2019, while the second-generation HomePod runs on the newer, but still relatively modest, S7 chip from the Apple Watch Series 7.
Those chips are powerful enough for music playback, Home controls and existing Siri functions, but they were not designed to run the new Siri AI capabilities introduced with Apple’s OS 27 generation.
That hardware gap helps explain why Apple is expected to introduce new HomePod hardware rather than bringing the full Siri AI experience to the existing models.
Gurman has said the main hardware change he has specifically reported for the new HomePods is a faster chip, although he has not identified which processor Apple will use.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, both the countertop and wall-mounted versions of Apple’s rumored HomeView smart-home display will use an A18 processor.
Whatever processors Apple ultimately chooses, the goal appears to be the same across the entire HomePod range: replacing ageing Apple Watch chips with modern Apple silicon capable of delivering the full Apple Intelligence experience.
The prices for the HomePods increased in June 2026:
Apple raised HomePod prices in June 2026, so we wouldn’t expect the new models to return automatically to the previous $99/$299 price points.
However, a HomePod with a built-in screen could command a higher price. It may launch as a separate product altogether, potentially starting around $399/£399, or higher, depending on features.
Wait if: You are considering a HomePod mini and can postpone your purchase until after October 13. A replacement is expected at Apple’s gathering, so waiting will let you assess any announcement before choosing between the current and new models.
Buy now if: You need a HomePod immediately and find a worthwhile discount. The current HomePod and HomePod mini still work well as speakers and smart-home hubs, but their older processors mean they aren’t designed for Apple’s newer Siri AI capabilities.
If you want a screen: Wait. Apple’s first dedicated home display appears much closer than the more speculative touchscreen HomePod.
October 13, 2026: Apple’s “Welcome home” Experience is confirmed. HomePod mini 2 and the HomePad smart display are expected announcements, alongside an updated Apple TV 4K.
October 30, 2026: HomePod mini and Apple TV retail availability, according to Gurman.
Mid-November 2026: HomeView retail availability, according to Gurman.
Beyond 2026: A new full-size HomePod is being tested, but Bloomberg reports that it does not appear imminent.
2027 or later: Apple’s more ambitious robotic home display could follow.
Timing unknown: Apple is also reportedly developing home-security camera hardware.
