Apple plans to make its long-delayed push into the smart home on October 13, with a new smart home hub, an updated HomePod mini and a new Apple TV. The launch would be one of the first major product expansions under Apple CEO John Ternus.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the hub, code-named J490, sits at the center of the plan, based on people familiar with the matter. Apple also intends to announce the first HomePod mini update since the speaker debuted in 2020 and its first new TV set-top box since 2022. Apple has not confirmed any of this.
The J490 Smart Home Hub Is a Small Square Screen That Knows Who Is Looking at It
Earlier reporting on the hub, which is now being tested in employees’ homes, describes a roughly square display that is smaller than an Amazon Echo Show. It comes in two versions. One sits on a stand and looks like a HomePod mini cut in half, and the other attaches to a wall.
A front-facing camera identifies who is looking at the screen and changes what appears, including apps, notes, calendar appointments, news, music and podcasts. The interface is also expected to resize what it shows depending on how far away someone is standing. Apple is reportedly doing all of this without a Face ID-level depth sensor, and the hub syncs with an iPhone for setup.
The software is a new operating system built around Siri AI, with an interface that mixes iOS, tvOS and watchOS. That means a home screen, widgets and clock faces, plus video calls, intercom features and smart home controls. Apple had planned the hub as far back as 2024 but held it until Siri AI was ready, which happened this month with iOS 27.
Earlier reports pointed to a 7-inch display and a price of around $350. Apple’s retail redesign this fall adds accessory bays for new home products, and Apple reportedly expects some households to buy a hub for more than one room.
The New HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K Are Getting Their First Real Upgrades in Years
The HomePod mini has not changed since it launched in 2020 at $99, and Apple later raised the price to $129. Apple’s code shows a HomePod mini 2 in five colors, green, pink, blue, white and black, with the same spherical design. A chip newer than the S5 is expected, along with Siri AI support.
The Apple TV 4K is a bigger change than its looks suggest. A leaked image labeled “Apple TV 4K (4th generation)” shows the same exterior as the current model, but the rumored hardware goes much further:
- Chip: A17 Pro or newer, replacing the A15 Bionic
- Memory: 8GB of RAM, up from 4GB
- Wireless: Apple’s N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6
- Remote: a revised Siri Remote
Apple raised the price of the current Apple TV 4K in June. The 64GB Wi-Fi model now starts at $199 in the U.S., and the 128GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet model starts at $249.
Apple announced the original HomePod mini on October 13, 2020, so the new date would land exactly six years later.
