Apple is expected to launch its first new products of the year this week. But the launch I’m most excited about, the new ‘HomePad’ device, is going to require a longer wait than expected per a new Mark Gurman report.
New HomePad launch is now ‘months away’
Last November, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg published an extensive deep dive into a forthcoming Apple Home product. I’ve been calling it the HomePad.
At the time, he said Apple was targeting a March launch for the new device.
Just last month, however, Gurman followed up by indicating the HomePad “may take longer” to arrive. Since some of its features are tied to forthcoming software updates, he wrote, “it’s plausible that the hardware itself will ship a bit later.“
Ultimately, even though the March date was in doubt, Gurman still seemed optimistic that the HomePad could arrive sooner rather than later.
As of this weekend, that sounds less certain. In Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter, he writes:
Apple is no longer working on a car, and true AR glasses are probably three to five years away. Though Apple is pursuing smart home technology, its first major entry in that segment — a hub that can serve as a control center — is months away from shipping.
The key tidbit is at the end. Apple’s HomePad “is months away from shipping.”
This means two things:
- Gurman is now confident that March is officially off the table
- And while April could still be possible, it sounds like he may expect an even longer wait
April launch aligns well with iOS 18.4’s new AI features
I’m more excited for the HomePad than perhaps any other Apple product launch this year. So I’m choosing to be optimistic and remember that “months away” could just mean two months, and an April launch.
The HomePad should pair especially well with Apple’s iOS 18.4 debut of powerful new Apple Intelligence capabilities—particularly a more capable Siri.
iOS 18.4 is coming in April, so a HomePad launch around then seems perfect. But we’ll have to wait and see what Apple has planned.
Are you looking forward to the HomePad? When do you think it will launch? Let us know in the comments.
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