Home Hub Code Hints at Face-Based Profile Switching

[Vincent Hanna]

The entire wall mounting option seems like a headache for regular people. Are you supposed to hang it like a picture frame on a nail? Will Apple ship mounting brackets with it? Are you supposed to put anchors in your drywall?

Combine those issues with having to run an ugly power cord to a wall socket and the whole out-of-box experience sounds poor. Not like Apple at all.

 

[JohnC1959]

The entire wall mounting option seems like a headache for regular people. Are you supposed to hang it like a picture frame on a nail? Will Apple ship mounting brackets with it? Are you supposed to put anchors in your drywall?

Combine those issues with having to run an ugly power cord to a wall socket and the whole out-of-box experience sounds poor. Not like Apple at all.

I don't see this as being "like Apple" or not. I suspect most will get a table/counter top option but for some there are multiple options for wall mount if the right situation in a home presents itself. Anchors, cord concealers and even in wall wiring are all valid options for many people, though for most the wall won't be the best option in their home. Any company with a similar product would have the same issues.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

I'm wondering how the user-sensing setup will work when there are two or more people in front of this device, and one of them wants to show the others information that's in their personal profile, like their calendar, etc.

 

[fosternow]

Apple's upcoming home hub will support multiple profiles and will include "ambient sensing" for identity verification, according to code we found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 update.

The accessory will show Personal Content for different users in the home, with options to select a profile via Control Center or the Settings app on the device. The home hub is expected to have an operating system similar to tvOS, so the Control Center and profile selection options might look like those on the Apple TV.

It sounds like the home hub can switch between profiles automatically using some combination of cameras and sensors, based on the mentions of ambient sensing. The device is rumored to include cameras and a presence-sensing feature to determine when someone is in the room, so it will be able to tell who is near it and switch profiles appropriately.

Here are some of the code strings.

• Sorry, I'm not sure who you are. To access your Personal Content, you'll need to select yourself in Control Center.
  
• Before I can help with that, you'll need to enable Personal Content. In the Settings app, tap on your name, and turn on Personal Content.
  
• I'm not sure who's speaking. Please come in front of this device and ask again.
  
• Sorry, since this device hasn't seen you in a while, you'll need to ask again in front of the camera.
  
• To access your Personal Content, you'll need to select yourself in Control Center and temporarily allow ambient sensing to verify your identity.

There are also mentions of a wall-mounted version of the home hub, confirming that there will be two models. The other version will include a speaker base.

Rumors suggest the home hub will have a square, 7-inch display. It will run apps and have a main home screen with quick-access widgets. We could see the home hub announced as soon as September.

Article Link: Home Hub Code Hints at Face-Based Profile Switching

Give me a speaker base that I can attach me iPad to charge, play music or watch something. I don't want another device to clutter up the kitchen. Allow the UI to adapt to "mounted" mode showing certain widgets.

 

[Wanted797]

Would be nice to get some user profiles for iPads too, or a situation where guests could use a basic profile for plain browsing without being able to see private stuff from the owner for example

 

[macduke]

I still don’t really “get” this device. But I wonder if Siri AI will be a big part of it, maybe for a common room where children could use it? Plus the home control stuff, asking it about your schedule or whatever. But for most people, I don’t see why they wouldn’t just use their phone that they usually have on them, instead of a device that just stays in one part of your house.

I feel like it needs another compelling capability, such as a built-in AirPort WiFi router, HomePod mini quality speaker, FaceTime device, etc.

It will be interesting to see how they distinguish this from a HomePod mini or iPad. I have an old iPad Pro from 2017 that lives next to my HomePod mini in the nook next to our kitchen. I use it for displaying things like my weather station data, weather radar, and other widgets. Make me want to replace that.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I’d guess it’ll be USB-C powered, either with a USB-C socket or, as with the HomePod mini, a fixed cable with a USB-C plug.

If it ends up being successful, some company will end up making a power a that matches the visual design, enabling it to be more portable.

According to Mark Gurman, it has a rechargeable battery.
Here is what he said…


“The device has a roughly 6-inch screen and looks like a square iPad. It’s about the size of two iPhones side by side, with a thick edge around the display. There’s also a camera at the top front, a rechargeable built-in battery and internal speakers. Apple plans to offer it in silver and black options.”

“It will also offer wall-mounting options and a base with additional speakers for tabletop placement.”

So it’s basically an iPad nano.
A little square screen with no App Store that can display widgets, play music, receive AirPlay and control your home, that can MagSafe or Smart Connector to a HomePod like speaker or to a magnetic puck mounted to the wall.
And you can assume, given that it’s rumored to magnetically connect to its different docks and stands, that there’s probably going to be a huge third-party market for these things. Nightstand docks, kitchen friendly docks, different wall-mounted designs, and so on and so on.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

The entire wall mounting option seems like a headache for regular people. Are you supposed to hang it like a picture frame on a nail? Will Apple ship mounting brackets with it? Are you supposed to put anchors in your drywall?

Combine those issues with having to run an ugly power cord to a wall socket and the whole out-of-box experience sounds poor. Not like Apple at all.

It reportedly connects to both the wall mount and the speaker dock via Magnets.
And it reportedly has a rechargeable battery.

 

[Slo Pesci]

Because it's just an imaginative rendering made up by MacRumors. Not the actual product.

No, I understand the product is not released yet and it's just a rendering, but the rendering looks cheap.

 

[Eddie Beeps]

It could sit on a nightstand and replace an alarm clock.

Nightstand cable clutter is/was a thing they tried to solve with AirPower, so a battery-powered alarm clock would “eliminate” a power cable (charge the clock elsewhere or something)?

Like StandBy mode on iPhones.

The clock could “watch” you sleep with infrared sensors and gather data that it would then cross reference with your Apple Watch health sleep data. (And that data helps Apple map you and your habits.)

It has a square screen and is/was said to run on [modified/renamed?] watchOS, I think?

Not to say it can’t also be a home hub with home app widgets.

Siri could read you bedtime stories…in theory

 

[zapmymac]

My OG HomePods do the job well enough, with my iPad always around, and my iPhone always in my cargo pants pockets 😜✅

 

[NightFox]

I've yet to see personal profiles implemented well in family devices as they don't seem to handle shared activities very well. For example, if my wife and I are watching something on Apple TV, our viewing/continue watching history gets out of sync if we're not using the same person's profile as the last time we watched the same programme.

Likewise with this device, assuming most people would have it in the busiest room of their house, how well is it going to work when their are several people in the room at the same time? I can see it using voice recognition for spoken commands like HomePods already do, but will be interesting to see how it prioritises facial recognition and shared requests.

 

[Oberhorst]

I really hope the whole log in/unlock functionality can be deactivated so it's just a wall terminal that's always unlocked for everybody. Profiles and having to unlock it seems absolutely nonsensical to me for a HOME device.

The entire wall mounting option seems like a headache for regular people. Are you supposed to hang it like a picture frame on a nail? Will Apple ship mounting brackets with it? Are you supposed to put anchors in your drywall?

Combine those issues with having to run an ugly power cord to a wall socket and the whole out-of-box experience sounds poor. Not like Apple at all.

A solution like Aqara's panel hub would be perfect, it would just replace a regular wall switch and hence super easy to mount including power supply. But I don’t expect something that cool from Apple.

 

[k1121j]

I was so excited for this to replace my iPad in the kitchen. Then I find out it’s smaller then an iPad mini, has no App Store, you got to pay extra for a speaker. Just no thanks I’ll stick to the iPad with a 10.9 inch screen, speaker and App Store

 

[clg82]

Hoping some of this can be overridden. For me, much of the point of this would be to let guests and kids control lights and other HomeKit devices in an easy and intuitive manner without layers of BS like having to use an iPhone or having to register biometrics. Now calendars and reminders... sure, that can and should be user-specific, and I have a hunch that’s what this is all about.

You have a hunch that Apple will be able to do everything you just referenced, when Apple's Home App, and Siri can't even do simple tasks? Prepare to be disappointed.

 

[Happy_John]

Hoping some of this can be overridden. For me, much of the point of this would be to let guests and kids control lights and other HomeKit devices in an easy and intuitive manner without layers of BS like having to use an iPhone or having to register biometrics. Now calendars and reminders... sure, that can and should be user-specific, and I have a hunch that’s what this is all about.

Not to be Captain Obvious here, but there is already a way to let "guests and kids control lights and other HomeKit devices in an easy and intuitive manner without layers of BS like having to use an iPhone or having to register biometrics".

Adding more layers of complexity does not always lead to processes becoming less complex.

I suspect that the attraction of smartphone setups for most people (myself included) is not that it reduces the level of BS, but because of the amount of tinkering and setting up that needs to be done. Smarthome setups are more about the hobby than about convenience.

 

[Mr_Ed]

Not be Captain Obvious here, but there is already a way to let "guests and kids control lights and other HomeKit devices in an easy and intuitive manner without layers of BS like having to use an iPhone or having to register biometrics".

View attachment 2655617

Adding more layers of complexity does not always lead to processes becoming less complex.

I suspect that the attraction of smartphone setups for most people (myself included) is not it reduces the level of BS, but because of the amount of tinkering and setting up that need to be done. Smarthome setups are more about the hobby than about convenience.

I think this is largely true, but I think many average consumers are only buying a couple of smart bulbs for convenience, stopping there and calling that a “Smart Home”. For them, a device like the one in this rumor is probably overkill. More tech-savvy types tend to have more devices and want to do more (scenes, automations, etc.) and how attractive this device is to them for that purpose probably depends on how long they have been doing home automation.

I’ve treated this like a hobby for years, which means I have a number of devices acquired over time and I would have to replace them to move to Apple Home, so that’s a non-starter for me. Can’t think of a good reason to toss devices that are in good working order just for Apple’s take on home automation.

 

[NightFox]

I really hope the whole log in/unlock functionality can be deactivated so it's just a wall terminal that's always unlocked for everybody. Profiles and having to unlock it seems absolutely nonsensical to me for a HOME device.


A solution like Aqara's panel hub would be perfect, it would just replace a regular wall switch and hence super easy to mount including power supply. But I don’t expect something that cool from Apple.

View attachment 2655545

Would be nice and this type of format would actually notch my interest up a level or two, but one country's 'regular' wall switch is another country's incompatibility. Selling a product that needed hard-wiring into the mains would also be a radical departure for Apple.

 

[Happy_John]

Would be nice and this type of format would actually notch my interest up a level or two, but one country's 'regular' wall switch is another country's incompatibility. Selling a product that needed hard-wiring into the mains would also be a radical departure for Apple.

Yep, not nearly "consumer" enough for Apple.

Far more likely to be USB-C powered, and then people can install a USB-C adaptor into their wall, if they want a clean, wireless-looking wall installation.

 

[NightFox]

Not to be Captain Obvious here, but there is already a way to let "guests and kids control lights and other HomeKit devices in an easy and intuitive manner without layers of BS like having to use an iPhone or having to register biometrics".

View attachment 2655617

Adding more layers of complexity does not always lead to processes becoming less complex.

I suspect that the attraction of smartphone setups for most people (myself included) is not that it reduces the level of BS, but because of the amount of tinkering and setting up that needs to be done. Smarthome setups are more about the hobby than about convenience.

Yeah, you could use dumb switches to control HomeKit lights and other devices, but why would you have bought HomeKit devices in the first place?

 

[eclipse01]

This is dumb, if this is just the Home app on basically an Ipad. If they were to actually make this like an Apple version of the Skylight Calander (with Home controls built in of course) then i would be interested

 

[Happy_John]

Yeah, you could use dumb switches to control HomeKit lights and other devices, but why would you have bought HomeKit devices in the first place?

Because buying tech is cool and configuring tech is cool, and showing off and playing with your new tech that you've configured is cool.

That's the draw for smartphone kit, far more than it being easier or more convenient.

The best example of this is witnessing a couple where one person likes tech but their significant other is not that bothered.

 

[JohnC1959]

I still don’t really “get” this device. But I wonder if Siri AI will be a big part of it, maybe for a common room where children could use it? Plus the home control stuff, asking it about your schedule or whatever. But for most people, I don’t see why they wouldn’t just use their phone that they usually have on them, instead of a device that just stays in one part of your house.

I feel like it needs another compelling capability, such as a built-in AirPort WiFi router, HomePod mini quality speaker, FaceTime device, etc.

It will be interesting to see how they distinguish this from a HomePod mini or iPad. I have an old iPad Pro from 2017 that lives next to my HomePod mini in the nook next to our kitchen. I use it for displaying things like my weather station data, weather radar, and other widgets. Make me want to replace that.

I suspect FaceTime will be an option. Otherwise it's more a a central place for the whole family to both control the home but as important check shared calendars and such. Personally, I don't care for combo products like adding a wifi router. I want the best router and I want to place it in the best location for my home and that's likely not the same as I'd want to put this device.

 

[Happy_John]

I suspect FaceTime will be an option. Otherwise it's more a a central place for the whole family to both control the home but as important check shared calendars and such. Personally, I don't care for combo products like adding a wifi router. I want the best router and I want to place it in the best location for my home and that's likely not the same as I'd want to put this device.

Agreed. Apple are out of the router business and, these days, people either just use the “free” router their ISP supplied them with, or they go for a specific router / gateway + ap / mash system.

At this point, it would take too many resources for Apple to try and step back in and compete with Ubiquit’s UniFi range, but there’s no point if Apple didn’t compete at that level if re-entering the market.

Be premium, or don’t compete.

 

[ignatius345]

Not to be Captain Obvious here, but there is already a way to let "guests and kids control lights and other HomeKit devices in an easy and intuitive manner without layers of BS like having to use an iPhone or having to register biometrics".

View attachment 2655617

Adding more layers of complexity does not always lead to processes becoming less complex.

I suspect that the attraction of smartphone setups for most people (myself included) is not that it reduces the level of BS, but because of the amount of tinkering and setting up that needs to be done. Smarthome setups are more about the hobby than about convenience.

I have like 20 networked HomeKit bulbs with scenes set up with color temperatures and brightnesses and combos of lights I like. So your suggestion is, what, just chuck the whole thing in the trash when what I'm really wanting is a more intuitive and accessible controller for the whole setup?

Really helpful, man. This is the equivalent of someone posting about a shortcoming with their wifi to tell them they should just plug in an ethernet cable: technically correct but entirely missing the point.