Apple's 'HomePad' Now Rumored to Launch Even Later Than Expected

[MacRumors]

Apple's long-rumored smart home hub device will launch in the fall of 2026, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami."

In a new post on X, Kosutami said that the device, colloquially dubbed the "HomePad," is now set to arrive in the fall of 2026. The fall runs from September to December, and usually coincides with Apple's busiest release period of the year.

Apple has reportedly been working on the device for several years, with the aim for it to serve as a centralized location for controlling smart home products, listening to music and podcasts, making video calls, and getting glanceable information like the weather and calendar events.

The device is expected to have a 7-inch square display and a front-facing camera. There may be two versions, with one designed to be mounted on a wall and the other featuring a speaker base that apparently looks similar to a HomePod mini and can be placed on a desktop or countertop.

Built-in sensors will be able to determine when someone is near the home hub, and the displayed content will change based on who is present. It will be heavily reliant on Siri voice commands, and Siri could even have a new personified look on the hub, with one design described as a version of the Mac Finder icon.

Apple could price the home hub somewhere around $350. The device was originally rumored to launch in early 2025, but due to delays with Apple Intelligence, its apparent release date moved to early 2026, and now to the fall. The rumored release timing means the HomePad could arrive alongside products like the iPhone 18 Pro in September or redesigned MacBook Pro models in October.

Article Link: Apple's 'HomePad' Now Rumored to Launch Even Later Than Expected

 

[turbineseaplane]

Launching "never" is what I expect at this point.

 

[sniffies]

Later than expected? You don't say!

 

[abatabia]

This is the new apple car. I bet it won’t even happen. Apple should give up on HomePods and buy Sonos or something.

 

[k1121j]

Great now I’m sure no Apple TV this year. 🙄

 

[MacUserFella]

I won't even be surprised at this point if all these AI products get the AirPower treatment

 

[turbineseaplane]

Great now I’m sure no Apple TV this year. 🙄

I'm just hoping we get a new Apple TV someday, period.

The more they dig into "Services" and deploy ATV content everywhere else, the more I get worried the number crunching will "crunch" the ATV hardware and cancel it.

 

[555gallardo]

This actually makes me proud that I have picked up the Apple TV yesterday

 

[ghanwani]

Remember guys, I predicted the low cost macbook would happen, but homepod with screen and foldable iPhone would not. How am I doing so far? In the distant past I had also predicted Apple Car would never see the light of day.

 

[dwsolberg]

Good. Let's get back to waiting to release stuff until it's ready.

 

[iMac The Knife]

AirPower 2.0?

 

[Taq'aix]

A mini iPad mounted to a wall or HomePod. Can’t innovate my ass. 🤡

 

[bluecoast]

I'm surprised that anyone even bought that original set of homepod's due to Siri's sheer incompetence.

I would have to be very sure that upgraded Siri worked ok before buying one.

I fear I'd get it saying 'Here's what I found on the web...' And then narrating the links that it found, after asking it to play an album on Apple Music.

 

[nfl46]

Remember guys, I predicted the low cost macbook would happen, but homepod with screen and foldable iPhone would not. How am I doing so far?

Let’s revisit this in September 2026. The foldable is likely 99.99% happening.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm waiting for HomePad Neo I've decided.

It's slated to release with unused A15 chips & "jelly scroll special" screens from the iPad Mini 6 dud run.

Oddly it will somehow support DICOM medical imaging though.

 

[Jarman74]

Apple is just setting its priorities straight. Everyone knows this thing is bound to flop if Siri isn’t fixed first - and that’s already a pretty tall order. I’m fairly sure we’ll be able to glean the most likely release date once WWDC rolls around and we finally get a glimpse of what the upgraded Siri can actually do.

 

[Pudlo]

I mean it would be hard to release an AI pod without AI...but ofc they a n relese it without AI and say that AI will come with podOS 29.5 beta 3 💁🏿

 

[DocMultimedia]

Let’s revisit this in September 2026. The foldable is likely 99.99% happening.

I think you meant 2027. 🤪

 

[turbineseaplane]

Let’s revisit this in September 2026. The foldable is likely 99.99% happening.

I look forward to folks comparing the value of the Neo to the Fold, for some reason.
😂

 

[Wx_Man]

Is it REALLY unexpected that the AI HomePod will be released later than expected when Apple does have a working AI yet even when they are renting Google Gemini ?

 

[Kylo83]

I don’t get this product at all, just use an iPad and mount it

 

[DocMultimedia]

Good chance nothing else is released this year, other than a new iPhone without Siri. Disastrous year for them.

 

[DocMultimedia]

I don’t get this product at all, just use an iPad and mount it

An apple Mount for $149. Lol

 

[kiranmk2]

Great now I’m sure no Apple TV this year. 🙄

Depends on what's happening with Siri/Apple Intelligence. From the rumours Apple have been sat on an A17Pro-powered Apple TV for a year or so. At some point, they may decide to just go ahead and launch it (and the 2nd gen HomePod Mini) and deal with Apple Intelligence when it comes up. If the new Siri & Apple Intelligence will finally be ready for release in the Autumn, then we will likely see the Homepad, Homepod Mini and Apple TV launch... of course, by the the A17Pro will be 3 years old and already be struggling to cope with the latest OS27-introduced AI features.

 

[Wx_Man]

I'm just hoping we get a new Apple TV someday, period.

The more they dig into "Services" and deploy ATV content everywhere else, the more I get worried the number crunching will "crunch" the ATV hardware and cancel it.

If you can sign up for Apple TV through the Roku channel on your Roku who really needs an Apple TV? Or worse yet…a lobotomized, feature less Apple TV Neo ?