Apple Smart Home Hub Launch Possibly Delayed Until Later in Year
Apple's long-rumoured smart home hub or "command center" may not arrive in the spring as previously expected, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
We've heard various rumors and reports about Apple developing an all-in-one smart home management hub. The device is said to feature a square-shaped 7-inch display, a FaceTime camera and speakers, and a new homeOS operating system with support for several Apple apps. Rumors suggest users will be able to mount it on a wall, but Apple is also designing a dock that will let it sit on a table or desk.
Apple originally planned to introduce the home hub in March 2025. However, writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that the device "may take longer to reach consumers," owing to the operating system's heavy reliance on App Intents features that won't be ready until iOS 18.4 and iOS 19. This in itself means "it's plausible that the hardware itself will ship later," adds Gurman.
Gurman's prediction lines up with a December 2024 report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo about a so-called "HomePod with a display" in the works with support for Apple Intelligence. Kuo said the device had been delayed and would arrive in the third quarter of 2025.
At the time of Kuo's report, it wasn't clear if the products being discussed were completely different devices (Gurman himself has said Apple is developing several HomePod variants with screens, including one with an iPad-like display and another featuring a screen mounted on a robotic arm). However, the alignment of the two timeframes are beginning to suggest they are one and the same thing. Like Gurman over the weekend, Kuo had said the delay could be attributed to software development challenges, rather than hardware issues.
As a result, Apple could still unveil the smart home hub with an announcement in March, with the actual hardware arriving later in the year, sometime after WWDC 2025. Apple this spring is also expected to announce a next-generation, entry-level iPad with support for Apple Intelligence, an iPhone SE 4, and new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with M4 chips.
Popular Stories
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple to release new AirPods Pro this year, and he said the earbuds will have a key new feature: heart rate monitoring.
From his Power On newsletter today, with emphasis added:As for Apple's other devices, there's a lot in the fall pipeline — though many of the new products are only incremental upgrades.
There will be Apple Watch updates, faster Vision...
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman corroborated a rumor that iPhone 17 Pro models will be "available in an orange color."
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are...
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color.
We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
Apple has "considered" releasing a bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Similar to the bumper case that Apple introduced for the iPhone 4 in 2010, Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air version of the case would cover the edges of the device, but not the back of it. Those bumper cases were made of rubber.
Given that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have ...
Apple will hold its annual iPhone-centric event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, according to an announcement that went out today. The event will start at 10:00 a.m., with select members of the media invited to attend.
At the September 2025 iPhone event, Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 lineup, which includes an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. It...
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023.
By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
Apple is designing new "Liquid Silicone" cases for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, with images of the alleged case colors shared by leaker "Majin Bu."
The lineup includes eight variants with a matte finish and soft-touch texture, including deep orange, pale orange, grass green, celadon, fog purple, grey blue, dark blue, and midnight black. The cases also have multiple cutouts for att...
