Apple’s next major product category expansion is rumoured to be the smart home. In the immediate term we’ll likely see more advanced versions of products we’re familiar with, like Siri AI-infused Apple TV and HomePod models.
The first brand new product is likely to be Apple’s first ever smart display – a kitchen counter style device that’ll set the table for all that’ll follow. We’re known about all of these things for a while, and reports say they’ve been gathering dust while Apple gets its Siri ducks in a generative AI row.
Moving forward is where it gets interesting. The reported road map includes robotic arms, robots following users around the home and Face ID-enabled video doorbells. We’ll go in order of the potential timeline, which also means we’re going from least exciting to most exciting…
New HomePod mini
According to reports, Apple has had these smart speakers ready to go for months. So why aren’t they sitting in homes right now? Well Apple wanted to wait for Siri AI to be ready before launching – potentially giving users are reason to upgrade to devices with AI capable processors.
The next HomePod (3rd-gen) should have a new generation S9 chip with Gen AI capabilities, making it perfect for the more conversational, personalised Siri AI experience. Users will be able to ask for context from other apps like calendar and messages, as well as requesting their favourite podcasts or Apple Music playlists. It’ll also benefit from Siri AI’s deeper smart home integration and enhanced voice recognition.
We expect this product to be released alongside iOS 27 in September.
New Apple TV 4K
The only proper update the Apple TV streaming box has had lately is to the price! The 54% increase announced in June made the nearly four-year-old player impossible to recommend. The improvement to the chipset (possibly the A17 Pro) should also make it Siri AI-capable.
From a traditional smart home perspective, it’ll likely serve as a Thread hub thanks to the presence of the N1 chip. A redesigned Siri Remote has also been mooted.
Apple Smart Display
The HomePod and the iPod are about to have a baby! The device dubbed ‘HomePad’ has been due for years and it seems the time is almost nigh. We may even see this before the end of the year, but it’ll likely arrive in early 2027, according to reports.
Again, this will support the Siri AI update, while the screen will likely act as a smart home command centre with access to Scenes as you enter and leave the home. The countertop device will be handy for FaceTime video calls, viewing content on Apple News, following recipes in the kitchen, streaming a show and loads more.
Face ID could be included to surface individual profiles for playing personalised content and surfacing contextualised information via Siri AI. The A18 Pro chip would offer access to Siri AI, bringing together the best of the Apple TV and HomePod interactions. It may also debut a new OS similar to tvOS called homeOS.
Apple’s entry into this product market is long overdue and the 7-inch model is likely to arrive first with a wall-mountable option potentially to follow.
Face ID-enabled doorbell camera
This could be Apple’s first piece of true smart home tech and a step forward for the category.
Bloomberg reports Apple plans a Face ID enabled video doorbell that could include or integrate with a smart lock to offer easy entry for homeowners, friends and family members. No more keys or keypads. The device may even run on an Apple smart-made Wi-Fi chip to boost user privacy, with video synced to a secure iCloud HomeKit Secure Video portal.
Naturally, it may offer alerts for left packages, unknown visitors, motion on the doorstep and other familiar for smartphone owners.
If this product arrives, it’ll likely be well beyond 2026.
Indoor security camera
With Nest, Logitech, Eufy, TP-Link and loads more companies offering indoor home security cameras, Apple would be entering a crowded category. Apple’s model could offer the same end-to-end encrypted HomeKit Secure Video Service to keep captured video safe in iCloud. Beyond that, information is thin on the ground. We don’t imagine this product will arrive this year.
Tabletop robots and iPads on wheels
The iMac G4 is one of the most iconic Apple products ever. It finished 8th in our recent countdown of the top 100 Apple products. We may soon see a version of the beloved design return, as Apple ventures into home robotics.
So, the reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman goes, a 9-inch iPad-like display would swivel and follow users around the room, making for easy interaction wherever they roamed. This could arrive by the end of the decade and spend time monitoring the home with cameras, checking in with pets and controlling the lights, locks and ambient temperature.
After that, we could be looking at a Wall-E design on wheels that would physically follow you around. Gurman reckons Apple’s robots will solve “first world problems” Can it fold laundry too? How about doing the vacuuming, picking up the crumbs as it follows us around?
If this product does come to fruition, it may be up to a decade away.
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