Apple event to unveil smart home hub and new speakers
Key takeaways
- Apple is set to show new smart home gear on October 13.
- The show starts at 9 am ET, with reports pointing to three new products.
- Reports say the hub may ship in mid-November, and the rest on October 30.
Apple is set to show new smart home gear today, October 13. The show is called Welcome Home. It starts at 9 am ET. Reports say Apple will show three new products.
What Apple is expected to show
The star of the show is a new home hub. Reports call it HomeView. It is a small screen for your home.
You can put it on a table. You can also hang it on a wall. It controls lights, locks, and more.
You can talk to it. You can also tap its screen.
Bloomberg reported the name HomeView. The report says the name fits its job. It is a screen you look at.
You control your home with your voice. The hub runs a small set of Apple apps. It will not have an app store, reports say.
Instead, Apple will lean on Siri, the Home app, and partner gear.
The table version has a metal speaker base. Reports list four colors for it. They are Space Gray, Starlight, Silver, and pink.
The wall version has a flat, square base. Reports list two colors for it. They are Space Gray and Silver.
Reports say the hub ships in mid-November. That is about one month after the show.
The second product is a new HomePod mini. It is Apple's small smart speaker. It has had no update since 2020. Reports say the new model gets an S10 chip.
It may also get new colors. The chip matters more than the colors. Old HomePod models cannot run the new Siri AI.
The new chip can, reports say. That makes voice control much stronger. Reports say preorders open this week.
Stores may get it on October 30.
The third product is a new Apple TV 4K. It is a small box for your TV. It streams shows, films, and sport.
The last model came four years ago. Reports say the new model gets an A19 chip. It may get 8GB of RAM too.
That is double the RAM of the old model. Reports say preorders open this week. Stores may get it on October 30.
Apple may also show partner gear. Bloomberg reported work with LG. The gear may carry an Apple Home Collection label.
It may include a smart doorbell. It may include a deadbolt lock. It may include a thermostat.
It may include indoor and outdoor cameras. It may include a floodlight camera. Schneider Electric may make gear for Europe.
None of this is confirmed yet. Apple has not shown prices. Apple has not shown ship dates.
This is not a full keynote. Apple is not streaming a live show. The news comes as press releases at 9 am ET.
Some media will touch the gear in New York. Apple teased the show on October 8. Marketing chief Greg Joswiak posted two words. They were Welcome home.
Why it matters
A smart home links everyday gear to your phone and voice. Lights turn on when you speak. Locks open with a tap.
A doorbell shows who is at the door. A thermostat sets the right heat. One hub can control all of this.
That is the promise. The real world is messier.
Apple has tried this for years. It released the Home app in 2016. It released the HomePod speaker in 2018. Yet it still trails Amazon and Google. Amazon sells Echo speakers and Ring doorbells.
Google sells Google Home speakers. Apple has tinkered for a decade, Reuters said. It has not had a big win yet.
Two problems held Apple back. First, setup is hard. Many people find it tough to link gear.
Second, Siri gave weak answers. A smart speaker lives or dies by voice. If it hears you wrong, it feels useless.
Apple wants to fix both now. It upgraded Siri this summer with help from Google, Reuters said. The new Siri uses AI.
AI means software that can grasp plain speech. It can then act on your words.
Bob O'Donnell is a chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research. He spoke to Reuters. He said AI should help at last.
But he asked two key questions. Can Apple make setup simple? Will it work with gear from other brands?
Those two tests will shape this launch.
One fix is shared rules for smart gear. Two names matter here. They are Thread and Matter.
Thread is a low-power link for home gear. Matter is a pact that lets brands work as one. Apple joined the Thread Group in 2018. Reports expect the new hub to back both.
That could cut setup pain. Strong home Wi-Fi also helps. Wi-Fi explainer helps.
Smart gear also needs strong account locks. Use a passkey to lock your accounts. Passkey guide shows how passkeys work.
Apple keeps adding new tricks to its phones. One is satellite messaging for places with no signal. Our satellite messaging explainer shows how it works.
What happens next
Watch the 9 am ET news drop. Apple will confirm what is real. It will share prices.
It will share ship dates. It will share full specs. Until then, treat all specs as reports.
Do not buy on rumors alone.
Reports point to a clear timeline. Preorders for the speaker and TV box may open this week. Stores may get them on October 30. The hub may ship in mid-November.
Apple may hold more launches in late October. Reports point to new Macs next. That part is still just talk.
If you plan to buy, check five things. First, the price. Second, the ship date.
Third, what gear you own now. Fourth, how it guards your data. Fifth, if it works with your home.
A hub should make life simpler. It should not add new chores.
Today is Apple's second big try at the smart home. The first try taught hard lessons. This time, Siri AI leads the pitch.
The next few weeks will show if buyers bite. We will update this page as Apple confirms facts.
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