- Apple plans to launch a new smart-home hub on October 13 with codename J490
- An updated HomePod mini and new Apple TV set-top box are also expected in the event
- The new hub will feature a 6-inch display with wall-mount and countertop placement options
Apple looks set to finally step into the smart-home category on October 13, centred around a new device carrying the internal codename J490, according to reports.
The company is also expected to introduce an updated HomePod mini, marking the first refresh for that particular device since it originally debuted in 2020. Alongside that, Apple is reportedly planning a new TV set-top box as well, which would be its first such update since 2022, according to Bloomberg News.
Leadership Context
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This development arrives not long after a leadership change at the top of the company. John Ternus, who has spent years as Apple's hardware chief, stepped into the CEO role earlier this month.
Smart home has long been an area Apple has tried to build out further, even as the iPhone continues to serve as its flagship product and the anchor of its broader device ecosystem. As things currently stand, Apple's smart-home lineup consists of the HomePod and HomePod mini, while the Apple TV 4K sits in a separate category, positioned as part of Apple's home entertainment offerings rather than smart-home products specifically, the reports stated.
What The New Hub Reportedly Looks Like
As per the Bloomberg report, the design Apple is working on draws comparisons to existing smart displays already on the market, specifically Amazon's Echo and Google's Home devices. Physically, it's described as a roughly 6-inch square display, and Apple is reportedly planning multiple mounting options, letting the device be either wall-mounted or simply placed on a countertop depending on where someone wants to use it.
The hub is expected to be able to recognise different members of a household individually, then adjust the content and responses it provides based on each person's own linked data and accounts, the report added.
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Updated HomePod Mini And Apple TV
As for the HomePod mini and Apple TV refreshes, the report indicates both will hold onto their existing physical designs rather than getting a visual overhaul, with the real changes happening internally.
Specifically, both devices are expected to get faster processors, upgrades intended to support the more powerful AI models now running Siri. That points back to Apple's broader AI initiative, which included a significant, long-delayed overhaul of Siri that the company unveiled in June during its WWDC event, part of a wider push to strengthen the assistant's underlying capabilities.
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