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Apple's Smart Home Command Center: What We Know So Far

it would be great if it could double up as a NAS or at the very least be able to sync our purchased/ripped music from music app to it and be an entertainment hub that can stream to other speakers.

PLEASE DONT JUST BE FOR APPLE MUSIC!
 
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I really don't know why Apple has to over complicate and over think things.

We've Had Google Smart Displays for years (for Music, and some video with smart controls)
We've had Amazon Smart Displays for years (for Music, and some video, with smart controls)

All Apple has to do is build the Apple version.
Ok, stick some Apple tax onto it. A screen and speaker than plays Apple music, some Apple TV built in, with smart controls.

That's all they have to do, and people would happily buy it.

Or are they going to "think different" and make an utter mess of it?
 
rchaser said:
Is it 1985?

We have phones — which they understand — but let’s not let that stop them from building some non-sense.

Apple needs new leadership, a shake up, new direction.
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Need new leadership with refine products and less variences. the lineup is a mess
 
goobot said:
Useless device, just make a good router again
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That was my first thought. I really liked the device that Apple sold a few years ago, which was a big storage device ( 2tb at the time) and also a high-quality router. For some reason they got rid of that.

For this device to be worthwhile, it would really have to combine that again. Apple consumers, who are probably quite different than most people on this forum, really just want simple plug and play. Apple has always excelled at that.
 
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Fancler said:
To be honest, I’ve been waiting a while for something like this. I’ve always wanted something that could be put at the door so people can see who’s ringing the doorbell without having to have their phone.
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But people tend to have their phone wherever they are in that house (or out of it)... while a screen affixed at the door means they better be in that one room to see who's ringing. If they make some journey to "the door" to see who's ringing, why not just take another step or two to look through a peephole or open the door and greet whoever it is?

I'm guessing you actually mean a BOTH option because there's nothing new about "who's at the door?" I've seen commercials running for many years where presumably Mom or Dad at work can see who is at the door and communicate with that person and/or unlock the door for them. Here's one from NINE years ago...


Something affixed to a wall at home only works while user is at home... and that user can use the organic interface of hands to unlock a door and greet the "ringer" in a full 3D experience. The one great benefit of affixed tech is in multi-person households because mobile devices like phones tend to leave the home with their owner.

Rationalizations for this are reminding me of first rationalizations for Watch. Suddenly people were coming up with situations where checking a new text on the phone in their pocket was some great challenge that Watch could resolve: "I'm rock climbing and it's dangerous to let go to check my phone... but Watch would make it possible for me to see the cat video while still safely hanging on. So I need a Watch." :rolleyes: How often are you in such rare situations? And couldn't the cat video wait until you are not?

Hopefully there is a very tangible new idea(s) in this thing. Else, dust off one of possibly many retired iPads in our drawers and put them back into service with dirt cheap wall or tabletop swivel brackets for sale on Amazon like...

full


There's lots of them in every form factor.

My guess: even though the UI would run just fine on iDevices, it will be locked to only this device so Apple can make their $499+ instead of someone buying a bracket for $20 and repurposing Apple tech lying in a drawer.

We should keep an open mind for an unreleased product... but there DOES seem to be some hurdles in this rumor vs. just using a backup iPad already in one's possession.
 
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Having used Amazon Echo devices, the only thing I’ve found them useful for is as a ‘decent’ DAC for audio. As others have said, we already have phones on our hips for whatever this device proposes to do.

This honestly has Apple Hi-fi iPod dock written all over it; but updated for 2025.
 
jdawgnoonan said:
I can think of almost nothing less compelling than the "Smart Home" that is full of electronic crap that I need to upgrade every 5 years or so. No thanks to all of this stuff.
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Me too. The Home App is one of the first things I delete on an iPhone.
 
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metkis said:
I honestly hope this remains a rumor and they scrap this product. Just build a dock for the iPad and a more involved mode for the Home app — more efficient and practical without as much potential to quickly become e-waste when support for it inevitably sunsets.
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Completely agree since most of us long time Apple consumers probably have spare devices lying around. The only potential glitch I see is the connector. Older devices are likely Lightning but everything newer is USB-C.
 
It's wild that we can't get the m4 max chip in a desktop currently and possibly won't happen till summer 2025. Just update the Mac Studio with the m4 max now and do the ultra chip when it's ready.
 
ducknalddon said:
Everybody I know that works in tech avoids this stuff like the plague. So much of it over promises and under delivers.
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I think home automation in general has never really been “average consumer-ready”. Multiple control and connectivity standards mean buying components is a bit of a mine field for average consumers who want it to “just work”.

Some are like me, who treat home automation almost like a hobby, just something to dive into once in a while. We don’t mind having to tinker with it and use something like Home Assistant as the core of it all. But this also means that those like me who might actually be interested in home automation have already made an investment in hardware so having to replace devices simply because Apple (or anyone else) now only supports whatever the latest standard happens to be is kind of a non-starter. So we string together software-based integrations to keep it all together and move forward, but this approach is not really sustainable or appropriate for mass market consumers.
 
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This would require ring products to actually integrate with Apple and Apple HKSV without having to use homebridge, and still have no HKSV.
 
No criticism here… but I do not understand this product or the need for it… I am building a new home, and will have a variety of smart switches, etc. Can someone explain to me why I should buy this instead of buying the cheapest iPad Mini? Or even using my HomePod and accessing everything on my iPhone? I will move around the house a lot anyways, so why lock myself down to one room? I am sure it’s my ignorance, but none of it makes sense to me. Make it make sense for me please.
 
ProbablyDylan said:
Normally I can justify the sale of all manner of gadgets, but I genuinely don't see the appeal of something like this. What would this do that the iPad doesn't?

That said, it would be hilarious if this was just a super fancy mount for the iPad.
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What it needs to do that the iPad doesn't
- be cheaper
- be less expensive
- stick to the counter so my kids don't run away with it
- cost less

If each and every one of these things is true - I'm sold!
 
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MyOwnDrummer said:
No criticism here… but I do not understand this product or the need for it… I am building a new home, and will have a variety of smart switches, etc. Can someone explain to me why I should buy this instead of buying the cheapest iPad Mini? Or even using my HomePod and accessing everything on my iPhone? I will move around the house a lot anyways, so why lock myself down to one room? I am sure it’s my ignorance, but none of it makes sense to me. Make it make sense for me please.
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Well, you are not wrong. I think the fixed, dedicated control device idea is old fashioned and goes back to a time when electronics were kind of a “magical” and expensive thing and some homes were built to include intercom devices in multiple rooms (someone posted a picture of this earlier in this thread). And they piped music to the entire home through those same crappy speakers and it was kind of a cool thing to do. But given how ubiquitous highly capable electronic devices are presently, doesn’t make much sense.
 
entropys said:
Why not just an iOS and iPadOS app that worked with all smart home protocols With a Mac or ATV as the hub? Every single one of the protocols.
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Because, then, they couldn’t tempt you into buying a whole new device you don’t need.

Just like why Apple Watch can’t sync to a Mac, an iPad or Android

Why there is no Fitness+ app on Mac.

Why Safari is not on Apple TV.

Why there is no multiple accounts support on iPad but the option is on the Apple TV.

All to sell you and your family more devices. And then they talk about the environnement.

I like Apple products, but, sometimes, their business practices leave a lot to be desired.
 
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I mean fine, but isn’t it the wrong way round. Unless it will integrate everybody else’s devices using the latest matter and thread standards, it would surely need the Apple home products to be released first, so there’s something to manage? Not to mention Google (Kof, spit!) hubs have been around for years at a very low prices, so it’s going to need to be sufficiently more value and benefit to justify a sale. Privacy? Ok. A new line of home products? Ok. But what else? Should have been a router.
 
Is it too much at ask for HomePod minis to be used as surround speakers instead? If Apple wants to go all-in with home automation with this, it will need to either make more devices that it can connect with, or encourage makers to work with it bette, with more availability
 
If they don’t allow google or Alexa to be integrated and used this will be doa. Believe it or not all apple users don’t use HomeKit.
 
Mr_Ed said:
Why do most apps in this “home hub” type device seem to be aimed at a single user? Excepting the “Home” app (presumably for home automation/control), all other apps imply user-directed preferences (bookmarks, followed news channels, music playlists, notes/reminders, calendar events, slide shows/memories). And we already have those apps in our iPhones and iPads. If you live alone or don’t care who knows you calendar, for example, I guess it’s ok.

I suppose they could implement a multi-user preference scheme with facial recognition, but at that point it still seems easier to pick up my already individually customized iPhone or iPad. I don’t think a device like this would be my first choice to surf the web anyway.
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Yes indeed - you can trash most of those Apps. It needs a nice Kiosk mode with home - potentially stuff like Spotify and Heos
 
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