Entering the New AI Application Track! Apple Finally Moves into Its Next Major Category: Smart Home, Planning to Launch Device Hub on October 13

Zhitong Finance APP has learned that Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) plans to advance its long-delayed smart home offensive on October 13, marking a key product expansion under the leadership of new CEO John Ternus. According to insiders, the core of this strategy is a smart home hub codenamed J490. Apple also plans to announce the first update to the HomePod mini since its debut in 2020, as well as its first new TV box since 2022.

This serves as an important early test for Ternus, who took over the company on September 1. Apple views the smart home sector as a lucrative opportunity—one of its famous "next big things"—but the tech giant has previously struggled to gain traction in this category, lagging behind Amazon and Alphabet's Google.

These products also serve as a showcase for Apple's new Siri AI assistant, a technology the company has been developing for years. The revamped Siri has faced multiple delays, and these smart home devices should help highlight Apple's efforts to finally catch up in the field of artificial intelligence.

According to the aforementioned sources, the home hub will feature a square display of approximately 6 inches, available in both wall-mountable and tabletop versions. These individuals requested anonymity as the product has not yet been announced. The sources stated that the new HomePod mini and Apple TV will retain their existing designs but will be equipped with faster processors to support Siri's more powerful AI models.

The new HomePod mini will also introduce new color options, including green and pink. Apple aims to eventually update its larger HomePod speaker as well. Bloomberg News had previously reported on these new devices and their connection to Siri AI. A spokesperson for Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, California, declined to comment.

The defining feature of this hub is its ability to serve multiple members of a household. It is designed to recognize who is speaking to it or approaching it, and then display personalized content and provide answers based on that person's data and account.

For example, when a user approaches, the device will display their contacts, messages, calendar events, notes, and preferred app layout. When another recognized family member approaches, the interface can switch automatically. It will also have a guest mode to hide personal information.

The device identifies users through voice or facial recognition systems, although the latter is less reliable than Face ID on the iPhone. If users do not wish to rely solely on voice or facial recognition, they can request secondary verification on their iPhone. The iPhone also serves as a fallback when the hub fails to correctly identify someone. In dimly lit rooms, a ring of virtual white light will illuminate the area around the screen to help the camera recognize the user.

Apple envisions users placing multiple such displays throughout their homes. They can be used to control thermostats, door locks, and other connected products, as well as for video calls, intercom-style communication, music playback, and browsing photo slideshows stored in Apple's iCloud service.

The company also views this device as a communication and information hub in the kitchen—users can check recipes, watch videos, or make FaceTime calls using voice commands while cooking. Since the device is designed to remain stationary, it features only a single FaceTime camera on the front, with no rear camera. The product's microphone and speakers are located in its connected base.

The hub is about as thick as an iPhone, with a 0.5 cm (quarter-inch) black bezel surrounding the display, reminiscent of earlier iPad models. It features a rounded design with no sharp edges. The device does not contain a battery, so it must remain plugged in at all times, and it lacks volume or power buttons.

The product adopts Apple's standard gray aluminum finish and includes a USB-C port for power. The screen sits above a metal circular base, which has several rings of perforated speaker holes and connects to the screen via a polished metal arm. Users can manually tilt the screen forward or backward. The bottom of the base is made of rubber to help stabilize it on a desktop. The standard version's appearance is reminiscent of the famous iMac G4 from 2002—a large display sitting on a hemispherical base.

Apple has also developed a second version, codenamed J491, specifically designed for wall mounting. It features a thin square base below the display to house the speakers and microphone. The base is mounted flat against the wall below the screen. This version must also remain connected to power via a USB-C cable.

This launch has been in the works for years. Apple concluded several years ago that it needed a stronger presence in the home market—a market where competitors like Amazon and Google have made significant progress. Apple's first attempt was the original HomePod, released in 2018, which performed poorly. The lower-priced HomePod mini performed better but never became a major bestseller.

Apple ultimately settled on a new path: combining an AI-driven operating system and voice assistant with a screen-equipped, HomePod-like device. The company is also developing a privacy-focused home security camera and sensor, codenamed J450, capable of detecting which room a person is in. This product is planned for a later release and will not record video.

Another product in development is an upgraded version of the home hub, which combines a larger 9-inch display with a mechanical arm, allowing the screen to move through space. The display of this higher-end model is designed to rotate 360 degrees.

Apple initially aimed to launch its first smart home display, the new HomePod mini, and the Apple TV in 2024, synchronized with the new version of Siri. However, delays to the digital assistant forced Apple to postpone these home devices as well. With Siri AI launching this month on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other Apple products, the company is finally positioned to roll out its new smart home product line.

The new Siri relies on large language models—developed in collaboration with Google (GOOGL.US)—and can retrieve information from the open web. It is designed to work more reliably than the previous version of Siri and allow users to control devices, smart appliances, and apps more smoothly.

The hub device follows the dark visual style of Siri AI on other Apple products. Its operating system integrates elements from the Apple Watch, Apple TV, and iPad interfaces, including iPad-like app designs and Apple Watch-style icons presented on the home screen. It also features iPhone-style widgets, such as those for checking stock quotes, calendar events, and weather.

The interface is heavily built around photo slideshows and clock displays, similar to the new StandBy Mode coming to the upcoming iPhone Duo foldable phone. One clock resembles a lava lamp, with the time overlaid—hours displayed digitally, with minutes listed below. Users can then swipe up from the clock or photo interface to open the app launcher.

Apple has included many of its most frequently used apps, including Calendar, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Notes, Reminders, Music, and Podcasts. Users can choose wallpapers and rearrange apps and widgets by long-pressing, just as on the iPhone.

Individual apps also draw inspiration from the iPad. For example, "Messages" uses a two-column layout: when a user clicks on a conversation in the list, a second column opens to display the conversation content. This interface extends to many other pre-installed apps.

In addition to hardware, Apple is developing a broader smart home ecosystem, expanding on the HomeKit software foundation and supporting new categories of connected products. The company is working with third-party manufacturers to develop new devices specifically designed for the Siri AI home platform.