New 'HomePod' Hub With 7-Inch Screen on Track to Launch This Year

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that a new HomePod-like smart home hub with a 7-inch screen remains on track to launch in 2025.

Apple AI Command Center Concept Mock 1 TextlessA conceptual render of Apple's rumored smart home hub

Gurman believes the home hub will be "Apple's most significant release of the year," as it represents the company's "first step toward a bigger role in the smart home." In his newsletter, he said the device will be like a "smaller and cheaper iPad" that lets users "control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats, and handle other tasks."

Both a HomePod with a screen and an Apple home hub have been rumored by several sources, and it sounds like they are the same product.

Last month, for example, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a new HomePod with a 6-to-7-inch display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support would enter mass production in the second half of 2025. Kuo said smart home capabilities would be a core aspect of the device, which aligns with the home hub rumors.

Gurman previously reported that the hub can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. He said the device will run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and revolve around Siri, Apple Intelligence, and HomeKit. The hub could double as a home security system by displaying camera footage, and a built-in camera would allow for FaceTime video calls.

Apple's hub would compete with products like Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show. It is unclear if Apple will actually use HomePod branding for the device, or if it will opt for an all-new name, such as the Apple Home.

Kuo and Gurman both said Apple is also planning an indoor camera that would work with the hub.

It is unclear if the current full-size HomePod speaker will be updated this year, but a new HomePod mini is expected to launch later this year.

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

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...

Top Rated Comments

macmac30 Avatar
9 weeks ago
Sorry, what is this going to do for those of us that already have an iPad, iPhone, Apple TVs…?
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FSMBP Avatar
9 weeks ago
Just like the regular HomePod, Apple will price themselves out on this.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
9 weeks ago
I see the rendering inspiration was a Magic Trackpad 1




I don't even know who would want this thing, or "why" ... but none of it will matter if it's overpriced

I'm a little skeptical about Apples ability to do something new like this and price it to actually sell
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sjjones Avatar
9 weeks ago
Why couldn’t this just be a special dock or stand for an iPad?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rayansb Avatar
9 weeks ago
This could've been an iPad mini with a stand and a software update to enable "hub mode". Rumors aside, it'll be interesting to see what Apple cooks up.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
9 weeks ago

All those things would work great on an old iPad if Apple would just come out with a "Home Station" app/mode and even released some speakers/docks.
? Apple won't even let iMac owners use their old Macs in Target Display Mode to help prolong device usage and reduce environmental waste, and you want Apple to allow old iPads to be used as a Home Station?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)