Apple’s rumored all-new HomePad may launch ‘by the end of this year’, per report

Apple has long been rumored to be developing a product for the smart home. It’ll have a square 7-inch display, support Apple Intelligence, and essentially serve as a command center for all things Siri and HomeKit.

While this product was on track to launch this spring, numerous issues have pushed that timeline. Now, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – it may finally launch later this year.

Apple smart home hub

To recap, here are some of the key rumored specs for this new smart home hub:

7-inch square display with thick bezel

Camera at the top

Rechargeable built in battery

A new Apple operating system: homeOS

Heavy focus on video applications like FaceTime

Support for many Apple apps

StandBy-inspired dashboard

Easy ability to control your smart home

Apple Intelligence support

One of the biggest reasons for this product getting delayed so heavily was because of Apple’s failed AI push. The product relied heavily on Siri and App Intents, which were supposed to all come to fruition by iOS 18.4. However, because of technical challenges, that didn’t end up being the case.

In fact, they’re so behind that Apple themselves announced the delay – stating that the new Siri features with Apple Intelligence will roll out “in the coming year.” Earlier this year, Apple started an internal testing program for select employees, where they could take the product home and get a feel for it.

Either way, previous reports indicated that this product might not launch until 2026. If Apple can pull things together by the end of the year, that would be wonderful.

Robotic device

On top of the smart home hub, Apple is also planning a more advanced smart home display with a robotic arm and “unique AI personality.” However, that product has also been subject to delays.

According to Gurman, this product will launch a “year or two later.” He also describes this product as a “major priority at Apple.”

Though, to meet this tight timeline, Apple has apparently “pulled some bolder features” from the robotic home hub. Gurman mentions they may reappear in future hardware upgrades. No further details were given.

My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:

Anker MagSafe 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2

MOFT Magnetic Wallet Stand, fits up to 3 cards

Logitech Brio 100 1080p Webcam for Mac

AirTag 4-pack (on sale for 20% off!)

SanDisk Extreme 2TB USB-C SSD, up to 1050MB/s

Aulumu Vegan Leather Case for iPhone 16 Pro

Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram

Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. 

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.