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 LargeLogitech Circle View camera

In 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.

Related Roundup: HomePod
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

sunapple Avatar
8 months ago
Got an idea for its design, here's a rough mockup:



Attachment Image
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
8 months ago
Sigh. I want outdoor cameras, not indoor.

POE would sure be nice, too... I know it's never going to happen, though.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Christoffee Avatar
8 months ago
Apple needs to build up its ecosystem. With the lack of trust around so much tech, routers and home security would be great. And it may encourage them to really make something decent out of HomeKit.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Will Co Avatar
8 months ago
Make a proper outdoor camera that is designed for permanent operation. None of this wireless-from-batteries-nonsense where you have to climb the ladder every few months, and the cameras don't do permanent recording and analysis of the video. Let's do it properly. A POE Ethernet port, thank-you.

And make it affordable. Oh hang on. This is Apple....
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McWetty Avatar
8 months ago
Give me a camera with 4K support in HK.
Give me a HomePod Frame to replace my garbage Echo Show 15.
Give me a new AirPort Extreme with HK secure support (or IoT dedicated band).
And then take my money.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stocklen Avatar
8 months ago
seems like many of these analysts claims don't ever have to come of anything and this is another that seems far fetched.

Firstly, why would Apple want to join the market when so many others are there selling cameras.

Secondly, the Apple cameras will not be pitched to compete price-wise with others and will not sell well - I cant see a camera having some killer feature that others don't do.

That said, there are NOT many decent choices for HomeKit secure cameras out there even now. Apple should make better inroads at getting other manufacturers to make HomeKit secure cameras rather than try to make their own. Change the specs so that its not capped at 1080p for example to make them more attractive devices for people.

I tried the Logitech circle view camera, and it was terrible. Constant disconnections and was offline more than it was online making it useless for security.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)