Apple is planning to expand its presence in the smart home market with a new home hub, an updated HomePod mini and a refreshed Apple TV, according to Bloomberg.
The company is expected to unveil the products on Oct. 13, marking a long-awaited expansion into a category where Amazon and Google have established products and ecosystems.
At the center of Apple’s strategy is a smart home hub codenamed J490, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The device is expected to feature a roughly 6-inch square display that can be placed on a countertop or mounted on a wall.
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The hub is designed to serve as a central control point for connected home devices and is expected to use artificial intelligence to recognize household members and provide personalized content and responses.
The reported device would also place Apple’s upgraded Siri AI at the center of its smart-home strategy. The company is expected to use faster processors in the updated HomePod mini and Apple TV to support improved Siri capabilities.
The HomePod mini update would be the first refresh of the small smart speaker since its debut in 2020. Apple is also reportedly preparing its first new Apple TV set-top box since 2022. The devices are expected to retain designs similar to their existing versions while receiving upgraded internal hardware.
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Apple’s move comes as technology companies increasingly integrate AI into smart-home products, including voice assistants, security cameras and connected appliances. Apple has already expanded AI capabilities for HomeKit Secure Video, including AI-generated descriptions of activity detected by compatible cameras.
The company has not yet publicly confirmed the Oct. 13 launch plans. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
If launched as reported, the new products would give Apple a more centralized hardware offering for the home, building on its existing Home app, HomeKit-compatible accessories, Apple TV and HomePod ecosystem.