According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing significant changes at its retail stores in preparation for upcoming Home product launches. At the very least, Apple should debut a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K this fall, though the changes would suggest a third, more significant product is also on its way.
Apple’s had a long backlog of Home products pending release, largely because of all of the delays involving the company’s Siri revamp. Now that Siri has come together, we should see some of these products finally hit the market after years without a refresh.
That said, reports indicated that Apple would release a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K first, and that the companies first smart home hub (otherwise known as HomePod with Display or HomePad) might debut a little bit later.
Apple is preparing significant changes to those sections this fall, including rearranging parts of the Avenues and adding accessory bays to showcase new products. The company is already planning an upgraded Apple TV set-top box and a new HomePod mini for this time frame. But the scale of the retail changes suggests something else is coming: the long-anticipated home hub with a display. The planned modifications appear too extensive to be solely about routine updates to existing products.
Of course, we’ll never know for certain until Apple holds its September keynote. Based on today’s reporting though, it sounds like we might get our first glimpse at Apple’s all-new smart home hub quite soon, alongside refreshed Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini models that should support Siri AI.
As a refresher, Apple’s smart home hub is rumored to sport a 7-inch square display and come in two versions: one with a built in speaker, and another with magnets on the rear that’ll support wall mounting. The product will run a new OS that’ll offer widgets on the home screen, be useful for FaceTime calls, and of course serve as the hub for all of your smart home accessories and Siri. It’ll include an A18 chip as well.
Another new rumor for Apple’s Home lineup is that the new Apple TV 4K might offer a refreshed Siri Remote, though it isn’t clear what changes will arise.
Are you interested in the new Home products? What excites you most? Let us know in the comments.
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Michael is 9to5Mac’s Weekend Editor, keeping up with all of the latest Apple news on Saturday and Sunday. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer in his free time, and has published numerous apps over the years.
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