Apple Readies Three New Smart Home Devices For October Launch

Five unreleased HomePod mini speakers in green, pink, blue, white and black
HomePod mini 2 color images. Image: Apple/MacRumors

It looks like Apple is finally getting ready to expand its smart home lineup this fall. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the company plans to introduce three new smart home products on Tuesday, October 13. This long-awaited hardware rollout will center around a brand new smart home hub device, alongside updated versions of both the streaming set-top box and the smaller smart speaker. Fans have been waiting since 2024 for these specific upgrades to arrive.

Faster chips and new colors update the smart home lineup

The upcoming Apple TV and HomePod mini models will keep their familiar physical designs. Instead of changing the outside, the company focused on internal upgrades. Both devices are getting much faster chips designed specifically to support the new artificial intelligence features powered by Siri. Adding these advanced AI capabilities is reportedly the main reason these products faced a two-year delay.

While the shape of the smaller speaker stays the same, it will hit store shelves in fresh colors like pink and green. The real centerpiece of the October 13 launch, however, is an entirely new smart home hub device. This marks the first time the tech giant is releasing a standalone product purely for home control.

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Looking past October, the company has even more hardware in the works. A larger HomePod update is planned for a later date. It is also developing a unique privacy-focused home security sensor that detects room presence without actually recording any video. For a premium addition, a future high-end smart display mounted on a swiveling robotic arm is currently in the testing phase.

For now, the October event will give users the hardware needed to make the most of the latest voice assistant features. Upgrading these core devices shows the company is finally serious about taking control of the living room.

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