Apple Retail Stores Preparing for New Home Product Launches

[Mr_Ed]

That, and it will probably be a HomeKit hub handling Thread - so it's a back end and a front end, whereas an iPhone, iPad or laptop is only the front end.

True. I’ve suggested in other threads (no pun intended) that Apple should just be focusing on the Thread border router portion for a “hub” device, allowing users to extend the useful life of devices they have as home control front end devices. I’m guessing it is more profitable to Apple to also push the front end display piece with it, but I’m curious to see how they differentiate it. Back end (Thread, etc.) functionality aside, to the average user it will still look like it does the same things (calendar, messages, facetime, show photos, control home devices, etc.) as their mobile devices.

 

[DrRadon]

Apple already prepared us with the Apple Watch that this is not going to happen, but I really hope that the homeHub or Apple TV will just enable the HomePods we already own to use the newer AI responses. My frigging nest mini just announced to me that I now can have long conversations with it if I want to (I dont) and that thing is older than anything apple I own. Yet Apple will end up selling us the same hardware again at a higher price point because....!

 

[Happy_John]

True. I’ve suggested in other threads (no pun intended) that Apple should just be focusing on the Thread border router portion for a “hub” device, allowing users to extend the useful life of devices they have as home control front end devices. I’m guessing it is more profitable to Apple to also push the front end display piece with it, but I’m curious to see how they differentiate it. Back end (Thread, etc.) functionality aside, to the average user it will still look like it does the same things (calendar, messages, facetime, show photos, control home devices, etc.) as their mobile devices.

Yep. That's why I think this device has legs if it's cheaper than a base iPad ( priced say midway between a HomePod mini and an iPad) and does all these basics - FaceTime, time and arms, controls, messages, music controls, podcasts, phots, weather etc - the using widgets as the interface suggests all this functionality will be there, but it makes very little sense if the price is the same or higher than a base iPad.

EDIT: Why I think price is a huge factor here isn't just the gouging, it's that, if you want to playground with HomeKit and use theApple ecosystem for smart home stuff, rather than any other system, you probably already have a bit of Apple gear lying around, and you may well already have an iPad or iPhone lying around that's relatively new but no longer your main iPhone / iPad, and it would make sense just to use the devices you already have as a HomeKit interface, rather than buy a new device.

As an example, I have a few homepod minis, these acts as hubs for the lights etc around my home, and I use a iPhone SE 2020 as the interface - the battery's pretty degraded, but it's in a case with MagSafe magnets, and lives on a MagSafe stand in my living room. I've set up the home screen with widgets, and that's used as the smart home control.

If the price of this new HomePad device, less the discount from trading in a device that runs iOS/iPadOS26. is less or roughly equal to the price of a HomePod mini or AppleTV ( and not trading in your IOS device), then it's a reasonable proposition.

If the price, with trade in, of the new HomePad, is significantly higher, then the numbers don't add up.

 

[macfacts]

Cmon now you can recycle your old devices for free at Apple 🤣

My city (Vancouver Canada) already lets you recycle electronics for free. Best Buy too.

 

[jonnysods]

I wonder if it will invovle a revamp of the UI, it has always felt a little off to me.

Also I wonder what the refresh rate is like for it with background syncing etc, as each time I fire up my Home app I have to wait 5-10 seconds for the app to ping my Lutron lights so they can return their current status before I can adjust them.

 

[chuckles235]

The security images in the mock up say it all…

 

[ftaok]

Until Apple support UHD on the Apple TV I see no reason to upgrade.

Isn't UHD and 4K the same thing, resolution wise? What exactly are you looking for the new aTV to support?

 

[eclipse01]

Seems like the ship has sailed and anyone who wanted smart home stuff has moved on.

I would argue most folks are using less smart home features albeit those questionable people who have cameras inside the house pointed at kitchens and living rooms…

Guilty as charged! 🙂

 

[mattopotamus]

Isn't UHD and 4K the same thing, resolution wise? What exactly are you looking for the new aTV to support?

Yes. That is literally what UHD means.

I want to be excited for this product, but Siri is straight trash, so I am holding my breath.

 

[philstubbington]

Isn't UHD and 4K the same thing, resolution wise? What exactly are you looking for the new aTV to support?

No, they’re a little different:

“UHD is 3,840 × 2,160 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio for TVs and streaming, while True 4K is 4,096 × 2,160 pixels with a wider 17:9 ”

The BBC in the UK broadcast in UHD for some programmes which I can only watch natively on our LG TV.

The difference is very noticeable.

 

[JungleNYC]

I'm guessing you've never used the "home" app lolllllll

I said POTENTIAL 🤣

 

[deesedani]

They are far too late to the game, Alexa for the basic users is already in many home. For those experts home assistant has moved leaps and bounds. The eco system is going to be the hurdle of this for example my hive system, somphy, Yale none of these will contact but do really well with Alexa

I am a fan of Apple but I want this to do so much more will it?

 

[Diopter]

They are far too late to the game, Alexa for the basic users is already in many home.

But Alexa is only available in a few languages and only a few countries, and outside the USA it has more limited functionality, so Alexa is just not very popular outside the USA.

But based on my experiences with Siri AI so far, it is worse at the kinds of things you’d want to do with a home device, like controlling lights, setting reminders and playing music. Ironically, “old Siri” was much faster and more reliable with those tasks than Siri AI is 🤦‍♂️