Apple Again Rumored to Launch Smart Home Camera Alongside HomePod With Display
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today again said that Apple plans to release its own HomeKit-enabled wireless smart home camera in 2026.
Logitech Circle View cameraIn a
blog post about Apple's smart home plans, Kuo said the camera will have tight integration with the
rumored HomePod with a display. It is likely that the camera would be sold as an optional accessory alongside the new HomePod hub, providing customers with a home security solution entirely designed by Apple for the first time ever.
Apple would almost certainly tout the privacy and security benefits of its own smart home camera compared to competitors. The company already offers HomeKit Secure Video, which leverages iCloud to securely stream and store video clips from compatible HomeKit cameras, with end-to-end encryption. HomeKit Secure Video cameras can be managed through the Home app on Apple devices, just like other HomeKit accessories. Examples of HomeKit Secure Video cameras include the Logitech Circle View and the Eve Cam.
Apple's smart home camera could also have some additional features not available on third-party HomeKit cameras, but no specifics are known yet.
Kuo expects Apple to begin mass production of the HomePod with a display in the second half of 2025, but he did not provide a release timeframe. He expects the device to feature a 6-7 inch display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support.
It is not entirely clear if Kuo is referring to the same Apple smart home hub that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects to launch as early as March 2025. Gurman said the hub will have around a six-inch display and support Apple Intelligence, so some of the rumored specifications sound the same at the very least. Gurman said the hub can be mounted on a wall, or attached to an optional HomePod-like speaker base. If these rumored devices are one and the same, then a launch might be a little further away than previously expected.
Popular Stories
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October.
There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose.
Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone.
iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account.
In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times.
The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said.
While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio.
MacBook Air (Early 2026)
The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen.
Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
