According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new Apple smart home hub, which some refer to as ‘Apple command center’ or simply ‘HomePad’, might ship a little bit later than anticipated.
Apple has been working on a new device for your smart home for a decent while, and the company is expected to launch it this spring, particularly in March. As a refresher, here’s what we’re expecting with the product:
- 6-inch square display with thick bezel
- Camera at the top
- Rechargeable built in battery
- A new Apple operating system: homeOS
- Heavy focus on video applications like FaceTime
- Support for many Apple apps
- StandBy-inspired dashboard
- Easy ability to control your smart home
- Apple Intelligence support
Despite many rumors circulating for such a long time, it did sound like Apple was getting really close to finally releasing this thing. However, because of many of the Apple Intelligence delays, it might take a little bit longer to hit the market, according to Gurman:
Apple has been planning to introduce the home hub in March, but it may take longer to reach consumers. The device’s new operating system — code-named Pebble — is heavily tied to App Intents features coming in iOS 18.4 and iOS 19, so it’s plausible that the hardware itself will ship a bit later.
Even though Apple is launching the hardware later, it still sounds like we’re set to see an unveiling in the coming months. It’s a little unfortunate that there’ll be a release delay, but it makes sense given this products heavy reliance on Apple Intelligence.
Gurman also reiterates that Apple is planning to launch ‘LLM Siri’, a more conversational chatbot-like assistant, in iOS 19.4 – which will launch in spring 2026. Apple is also preparing its own lineup of smart home accessories, starting with a Face ID-powered doorbell and a more private security camera.
What do you think of Apple’s rumored smart home hardware ecosystem? Let us know in the comments.
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