Apple’s ‘HomePad’ will reportedly launch on October 13th

Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub will reportedly be revealed on October 13th. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the smart home device will be revealed alongside a new HomePod mini and an upgraded Apple TV device. All three products are set to showcase Siri AI, Apple’s overhauled AI-powered assistant. The smart home hub, a new product category for Apple, will be the centerpiece. It will reportedly feature a 6-inch display which can be mounted on a wall or sit on a countertop. The hub is “about as thick as an iPhone,” according to Gurman, and has bezels similar to older iPads. It sounds like the hub will look a little similar to Apple’s iMac G4, thanks to a round, metal base that houses speakers, microphones, and a metal arm to hold the screen up. This also allows the display to tilt, and Apple will reportedly sell a second, wall-mounted version with a thinner base underneath for the speakers and microphones. Apple will reportedly use a USB-C power supply for its home hub, as the device doesn’t have a battery inside. Gurman reports that the hub will be available in “Apple’s standard gray aluminum finish.” It sounds like the new operating system built around Siri AI for the hub is going to lean into iPad-like apps, as Gurman reports that the Messages app has a two-panel layout. The hub will also reportedly support controlling other smart devices, video calls, music playback, photo slideshows, and intercom-style calls, with voice and facial recognition to identify users.