Apple just launched the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and it's preparing to start accepting pre-orders for the highly anticipated iPhone Duo.
But the company doesn't appear to be done releasing new products, as the latest rumor from Bloomberg suggests it's preparing new smart home devices, including the rumored HomePad (or whatever it decides to call its screen-based smart home hub).
Fans of the Cupertino-based company had to turn to Google Nest or Amazon Alexa if they want a screen-based device to talk to in their homes while Apple worked to get its Siri assistant and device ready for primetime. If these rumors are accurate, we should learn more about the new smart home devices on October 13, which is just two weeks away.
Here are the features of Apple's HomePad that you need to have on your radar (note that a lot are on other smart home hubs):
Visitor Mode
To me, Visitor mode is what really sets Apple's device apart from the best smart displays. Google and Amazon have the smart home hub space pretty cornered right now, but Apple could take some of the market thanks to this privacy feature.
According to Bloomberg's report, when the hub detects unfamiliar people in the room (those not registered in the household), it won't show any personal information. It'll use facial and voice recognition to identify visitors and non-household members (neither is new; current hubs from other companies use both facial and voice recognition). But the way Apple plans to use it (if these rumors are accurate) sounds fantastic and like a great way to keep anything embarrassing or private from showing up on your screen when guests are lingering.
Siri AI
We couldn't have a 2026 or 2027 Apple device without Siri AI being a huge part of it. Whether that's a positive depends on how you feel about Apple's use of AI so far, but as Siri AI improves over time, it should be a net positive overall.
I'm neutral to Siri AI so far, but I do use Google's AI on my Nest devices to ask quick questions or help settle arguments in the home, and I could see myself using Siri for the same purposes (I do use Siri in the car to find out quick facts that pop up during conversation, and it does the job well enough). We'll have to see exactly how Apple chooses to integrate its AI tool, but I fully expect it to do what it needs to well enough.
iMac G4-like design
I guess this isn't a feature in the traditional sense, but it might be the aspect of the HomePad I'm most excited about. The iMac G4 is nothing short of iconic, so the idea of a device sitting on my kitchen counter that looks like a mini one of those sounds great.
And when the larger version with the movable arm comes out later (it'll reportedly have a 9-inch display), it could capture the look of the iconic all-in-one computer even more faithfully. I might ditch my Google Nest devices based on the look alone.
FaceTime and intercom
Apple will reportedly offer FaceTime as part of the smart home experience, so you can chat with friends and loved ones on video, as you would on your iPhone. It will also include an intercom system to communicate with other hubs in the home.
The report doesn't mention whether the intercom feature will be able to broadcast to iPhone or iPad devices, but that seems like a nice convenience if you want to summon everyone for dinner and household members are in a room without a hub. We'll see what happens come October 13.
Table or wall (depending on model)
Apple is rumored to be developing two models of its HomePad. One will sit on a table, and the other will mount on a wall.
Both models will lack batteries, so it will need to be plugged in at all times. This is pretty standard for smart home hubs, so I'm not surprised Apple is forgoing a battery.
iPhone-like thickness
Perhaps one of the more interesting rumored aspects of the HomePad is how small it's rumored to be. The 6-inch screen isn't overly surprising, but the reported iPhone-like depth is quite shocking. We're used to smart home hubs being a little bulky (largely due to the speakers), so Apple launching one with iPhone-like depth is interesting.
Of course, that leads me to wonder how good the internal speakers will sound compared with the competition. iPhone speakers have come a long way over the years, but they still lack the depth and punch of more robust speaker systems.
Ambient display
Almost every smart home hub has some kind of ambient display mode, and the HomePad looks set to follow the trend. This isn't overly exciting on its own, but Apple is expected to put its own spin on it with a lava lamp-like mode that'll make the hub feel like a display piece.
Of course, it'll have photo slideshows as well if a digital clock with a lava lamp aesthetic isn't your thing. With the quality Apple offers for its Mac and iOS wallpapers, I'd be shocked if the screensavers Apple includes with its smart home hub are anything but gorgeous.
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