Apple Considered Adding a Camera to the HomePod Years Ago
Apple considered launching a HomePod with a camera and additional sensors years before the upcoming "HomePad" device, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
In a detailed profile of Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus, Gurman revealed that Apple considered adding a camera and a more advanced array of sensors to the original HomePod, which was announced in 2017. Ternus apparently believed that the additional capabilities would push up development costs and decided to cancel the features as a result.
Ternus was said to be reluctant to invest deeply in smart home devices when the first leading products from Amazon and Google arrived on the market around a decade ago. He subsequently took "some responsibility" for Apple falling behind in the smart home category.
Now, Ternus is leading Apple's efforts to re-establish itself in the smart home market with three new products, including an AI-powered smart home hub with facial recognition (J490), a small sensor for managing home security (J450), and a robotic device (J595). The smart home hub, dubbed "HomePad" in some reports, is expected to launch in the fall of 2026.
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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today further outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 set to be unveiled on September 9.
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John Ternus officially became Apple's CEO today, with Tim Cook transitioning to a new role as Executive Chair. Ternus sent his first memo as CEO to employees this morning, praising Cook and sharing his excitement for Apple's future.
MacRumors obtained a copy of the memo, which you can read in full below.Team,
Today, on my first day as CEO, I just wanted to send a quick note to thank...
Ahead of Apple's annual iPhone event at 10 a.m. Pacific Time today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has leaked all of the color options for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the first-ever foldable iPhone named the iPhone Duo.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max color options:Black
Light Blue
Burgundy
Silver
Burgundy has also been described as Dark Red or Dark Cherry.
iPhone Duo...
