We’re quickly approaching Apple’s “Welcome Home” launch event, where we expect a slew of smart home-related announcements. We expect updates to Apple TV and HomePod Mini, as well as a new smart home hub. We also got to see the debut of a new platform called homeOS and some associated devices from LG.
What we probably won’t see is the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook, which Cupertino whisperer Mark Gurman says will debut later this month.
“Welcome Home” will officially begin in New York on October 13 at 9 a.m. ET. Here you will find more information about what to expect.
Until now, Apple has primarily relied on the Home app to control all the details that make up your smart home. But it’s a niche market the company has been eager to address more fully. The new device, which could be called HomePad or HomeView or, more simply, Apple Home Hub, will feature a 6-inch square touchscreen that can be mounted on a wall or placed on a table or countertop. According to Mark Gurman, the countertop model will look a bit like the iMac G4, with the screen attached to a half-sphere-shaped arm.
It will also supposedly use voice or facial recognition to identify who is interacting with it, displaying relevant contacts, calendar appointments, and more. Apple will offer the option of secondary identification through an iPhone to keep personal data more secure. The whole thing will reportedly run a new software platform called…
The company may have registered a trademark for the name through a shell company called Home Operations Suite LLC, a move Apple has made before to quietly secure naming rights. The platform will reportedly feature a streamlined interface that “looks like a combination of iOS, tvOS, and watchOS,” according to Gurman. The focus will obviously be on smart home applications, such as controlling thermostats and smart locks, and it will also be capable of making FaceTime calls.
The operating system will also include Apple’s usual array of apps and widgets, including Apple Music, Podcasts, and News, as well as Reminders, Notes, and Siri AI.
HomePod Mini and Apple TV receive a small update
It is said that there are not many changes with the HomePod Mini or the Apple TV. The designs will remain the same, but they will get a new processor to help handle the additional demand from Siri AI. This will be the first update to the HomePod Mini since it was announced on October 13, 2020, exactly six years before Apple’s Welcome Home event. While the company won’t be making dramatic changes for the Mini’s birthday, it will offer it in new colors, including green and pink.
This will be the first hardware update for the Apple TV since 2022. In addition to supporting Siri AI, the new processor will also speed up navigation, which can get a little slow. Both are expected to feature Apple’s N1 chip, which includes support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 6.0.
LG and other associated devices
We’ll likely mention products that integrate with HomeKit and offer new features built on top of homeOS and whatever Apple’s hardware hub ends up being called. But don’t expect Apple to share too much of the spotlight with its partners. We’ve already seen a leak of LG’s smart home, including locks, thermostats, and more. They will also reportedly include an NFC-based “Proximity Control” that displays a track on the iPhone’s Dynamic Island when held close to the device, as well as a “tap to set up without power” pairing feature.
