New HomePod rumors: HomeView, HomePod mini 2 and release dates

Why have Apple’s new Home products taken so long?

Apple’s next generation of smart-home products appears to have been delayed largely because of Siri. The company was developing a much more capable version of Siri for Apple Intelligence, while the processors inside the current HomePod mini and second-generation HomePod weren’t designed to run Apple’s latest AI features.

That created a problem for new HomePod hardware. Apple was reportedly preparing products such as a new HomePod mini and smart home display around the capabilities of the redesigned assistant, but Siri’s delayed development meant the hardware couldn’t launch as originally expected.

That situation has now changed. Siri AI arrived with Apple’s OS 27 updates in September 2026, removing one of the main dependencies that had been holding back Apple’s smart-home plans. Recent reports suggest the HomePod mini 2 and Apple’s smart home display are among the products closest to release.

The full-size HomePod appears to be on a different timetable, however. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in September that Apple is testing a new full-size HomePod with Siri AI support, but said it “doesn’t appear to be imminent.” That means we no longer expect the HomePod 3 to necessarily arrive alongside the HomePod mini 2.

HomePad/Smart Home Hub rumors

• Launch: October 13 announcement expected
• Strategy: A new smart-home display category for Apple

HomePad release date

Apple’s first smart-home display, provisionally called HomePad, is expected to be unveiled at the confirmed October 13 “Welcome home” Experience. Gurman reports that the display will reach stores in mid-November.

Invited journalists will attend a New York gathering, but Apple has not confirmed a public livestream. Product announcements could appear on its website alongside the media experience. We’ll cover the announcement in our Welcome Home live blog.

The product had originally been expected earlier in 2026, but its launch was repeatedly pushed back while Apple completed the Siri AI technology that arrived with its September OS 27 updates. Gurman previously reported that the hardware had been ready for some time, with Siri the main reason for the delay.

Apple’s own software has also provided evidence that the product is approaching launch. References discovered in macOS identify J490/HomeAccessory17,1 and J491/HomeAccessory17,2, which are believed to correspond to the tabletop and wall-mounted versions of Apple’s smart home hub.

What is the HomePad?

The HomePad – also referred to as Apple’s Smart Home Hub or home display – is expected to be a compact 6-inch smart display designed to act as a central interface for the home. It would combine Siri AI, smart-home controls, FaceTime, media playback and Apple services in a device intended to remain plugged in on a countertop, desk, bedside table or wall.

The latest reports suggest that it will be considerably smaller than many earlier concept images implied. A six-inch square display would measure only about 4.25 inches across each side, making it much more of a close-up personal device than an iPad-sized family display. It is likely to be more “desk scale” than “room scale.”

Apple’s new Siri AI is expected to be central to the HomePad experience. Its delayed development appears to have been one of the main reasons the hardware did not launch earlier.

HomePad design, features and specs

Reported features include:

• 6-inch display: The latest Bloomberg report points to a six-inch display with rounded corners, making the device considerably smaller than many earlier renders suggested.
• Processor: Gurman reports that both versions will use Apple’s A18.
• iMac G4-style tabletop design: The standard model is reportedly mounted above a circular metal speaker base on a polished metal arm, with a design said to be reminiscent of the classic iMac G4.
• Colors: According to Gurman, the countertop model will come in Space Gray, silver, Starlight and pink; the wall-mounted version in Space Gray and silver.
• Tilting display: The screen is reportedly designed to tilt forward and backward manually.
• Wall-mounted version: A second model is reportedly designed to mount on a wall, with a thin square base containing the speakers and microphones.
• No battery: The device is expected to remain plugged in, reportedly using USB-C for power.
• Siri AI: Apple’s new Siri technology is expected to be central to the device.
• Smart-home controls: It should act as a central interface for Home accessories.
• FaceTime and communication: A front-facing camera is expected to support FaceTime calls.
• User recognition: The device is reportedly designed to recognize household members by face and voice, then display that person’s own calendar, reminders, notes and other information.
• Visitor mode: Reports suggest it will be able to hide personal information when guests are using the device.
• iPhone authentication: A nearby iPhone may be used for stronger authentication when required.

Other software clues and reports suggest the device could also offer:

• Apple apps and services: Reports specifically mention Calendar, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Notes, Reminders, Music, Podcasts and smart-home controls.
• Entertainment: The device is also expected to function as an entertainment hub for streaming music and video, as well as making FaceTime calls via a built-in camera.
• New home-focused software: The device is reportedly running a new interface combining elements of Apple Watch, Apple TV and iPhone/iPad software, including widgets, clock faces and photo displays rather than simply running iPadOS.
• Apps: Gurman reports a limited selection of Apple apps and no third-party App Store.

Other clues about HomePad software:

• Kitchen integration: A new “CookingKit” framework and expanded food sections in Apple News indicate that kitchen assistance, such as searching for recipes by ingredient, could be a primary selling point.
• Advanced home control: Code found in the iOS 26 Home app describes an “Adaptive Temperature” feature, which could allow the HomePad to offer more granular control over smart thermostats, including energy-saving optimizations based on local electricity rates.

HomePod mini 2 rumors

We’ll start off with the rumors about the HomePod mini 2. The HomePod mini is Apple’s smaller, more affordable smart speaker. The new model is expected to offer a new selection of colors, a major processor upgrade and improved connectivity.

Foundry

When is the HomePod mini 2 expected to launch?

• Launch: October 13 announcement expected

Apple introduced the original HomePod mini in November 2020, so it is now nearly six years old and overdue for an update.

The HomePod mini 2 is expected to be announced at Apple’s October 13 “Welcome home” event. Apple has invited media to an Experience. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman puts retail availability at October 30.

Rumours of a successor have circulated for more than a year. In January 2025, reports suggested a launch toward the end of 2025, and Gurman subsequently said that new HomePod mini and Apple TV models were expected in fall 2025. Those products never materialised.

Attention then shifted to spring 2026, with reports suggesting Apple’s new smart home devices would launch alongside its redesigned Siri. However, that timetable also slipped as Apple continued work on its AI-powered assistant.

What changes are coming to the HomePod mini 2?

• Black, blue, green, pink, and white color finishes.

The current HomePod mini is available in Midnight, White, Blue, Yellow and Orange. In September, MacRumors spotted Apple code that revealed five colors for the new model: black, blue, green, pink, and white.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in September 2025, that Apple has tested additional colors for the next-generation model, including red, but it appears that red didn’t make the final cut.

Otherwise, the HomePod mini 2 is expected to retain the same compact, spherical design as the current model, with no major external changes rumored. Instead, Apple is reportedly focusing on upgraded internal hardware, including an S9 or newer chip capable of supporting Apple’s latest Siri AI features.

Other changes coming to HomePod mini 2

Beyond the color changes revealed in Apple code, the main expected hardware upgrade is a newer processor capable of supporting Siri AI. Reports also point to newer Apple networking and Ultra Wideband hardware, along with possible audio improvements.

• Siri AI support: A newer processor should allow the HomePod mini 2 to support Apple’s latest Siri AI features, something the current S5-based model wasn’t designed for.
• Improved connectivity: Reports have pointed to Apple’s newer in-house networking hardware, Wi-Fi 6E and an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip.
• Audio improvements: Apple is expected to upgrade the speaker’s audio hardware and processing.
• Other internal upgrades: Further hardware refinements are possible.

HomePod 3 rumors

The larger HomePod is more expensive than the HomePod mini, delivering richer, louder audio with deeper bass and spatial audio. The next generation is expected to get a processor upgrade, improved connectivity and better sound.

Michael Brown/Foundry

When is the HomePod 3 expected to launch?

• Release date: Unknown; not expected imminently

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in September 2026 that Apple was testing a new full-size HomePod with Siri AI support, but that the release did not appear to be imminent.

What changes are coming to the HomePod 3?

Unlike the HomePod mini 2, there are relatively few leaks about hardware upgrades coming to the full-size HomePod. However, it’s expected to receive the same core internal upgrades needed to support Apple’s AI ambitions.

Expected improvements include:

• More powerful chip: The current HomePod uses the S7 chip from the Apple Watch Series 7. A next-generation model is expected to adopt a significantly faster Apple silicon chip, potentially the S9 or newer, to support Apple Intelligence features.
• Siri AI support: The upgraded hardware should allow the HomePod to run Apple’s new Siri AI features that aren’t supported by the current S7-based model.
• Improved Connectivity: Rumours point to Apple’s in-house networking chip, together with Wi-Fi 6E and an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip for improved performance and smart home integration.
• Audio Enhancements: Apple is also expected to refine the speaker system with upgraded drivers and audio processing.

In September, a post by itspdfu, who has a history of posting leaks online, said that audioOS27, the operating system for HomePod devices, supports Siri AI. The same source claimed that a future HomePod could also include new animations for its top display.

Beyond these internal upgrades, some reports suggest Apple is experimenting with a HomePod featuring a built-in display. That device is expected to be a separate product rather than a standard HomePod 3, and we cover those rumours in the next section.

HomePod with touchscreen (HomePod Touch) rumors

Apple has been rumored to be working on a HomePod with a screen for years, although exactly what form that product will take remains unclear. Older reports have described a HomePod-style speaker with an integrated touchscreen, sometimes referred to unofficially as a “HomePod Touch.”

There is considerable uncertainty here because some older reports about a “HomePod with a display” may describe the same product that more recent reports characterize as Apple’s HomePad or smart home hub. We are treating the HomePod Touch separately here only where reports specifically describe a HomePod-style speaker with an integrated screen.

Foundry and Apple

When could the touchscreen HomePod launch?

• Possible launch: Unknown

Apple has been working on redesigning the HomePod to include a display for some time. Back in March 2023, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed Apple would “unveil a redesigned HomePod featuring a 7-inch panel.” Kuo initially expected this product to arrive in the first half of 2024, but that timeline slipped. In December 2024, he reported further delays had pushed the launch to after WWDC 2025, citing software development challenges. Then, in March 2025, Kuo suggested the device had been delayed again, due to Apple Intelligence setbacks.

Those predictions have all passed without a product appearing. Siri AI has since arrived, but there is currently no firm report giving this touchscreen HomePod a new launch date. It is therefore possible that earlier reports referred to a product that has evolved, been delayed further, or overlaps with Apple’s separately reported HomePad project.

Foundry

What could the touchscreen HomePod be like?

• Display size: 6 and 7-inch touchscreens.
• Software: Custom touchscreen operating system running apps like Weather, Calendar, Photos, HomeKit as well as Apple Music

One of the biggest limitations of today’s HomePod is that almost every interaction relies on Siri. A built-in display would provide a more direct way to control music, manage smart home devices and access information, putting Apple’s device in direct competition with the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub.

According to current rumours, Apple’s display-equipped HomePod will feature a 6-7-inch touchscreen and run a touch-optimised version of homeOS, allowing it to function as both a smart speaker and a smart home hub. Unlike existing HomePods, it is expected to use a far more powerful A-series chip – possibly an A18 or similar – to support Apple’s redesigned AI-powered Siri and the more demanding graphical interface.

Rumoured features:

• Large touchscreen: A 6-7-inch display for controlling smart home devices, viewing photos, checking the weather, following recipes and interacting with apps.
• Powerful Apple silicon: An A-series chip is expected to replace the S-series processor used in current HomePods, providing the performance needed for Apple Intelligence and the touchscreen interface.
• Smart-home controls: A touchscreen HomePod would logically offer easier access to Home controls, although reports about apps and a dedicated smart-home interface may refer instead to Apple’s separate HomePad project
• Improved connectivity: Apple’s in-house networking chip, Wi-Fi 6E and an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip are all rumoured.
• FaceTime camera: Reports suggest Apple may include a built-in camera for FaceTime and other video-based features. These could instead relate to Apple’s separate HomePad project.
• Possible modular design: Some less-established reports have suggested that a display could dock with a speaker base. This has not been corroborated by the more recent reports describing Apple’s HomePad.

If accurate, this would represent Apple’s biggest expansion of the HomePod lineup since its debut, transforming it from a voice-first speaker into a full smart home controller.

Ben Patterson/Foundry

Apple robotic home display rumors

• Possible launch: 2027 or later
• Strategy: A premium smart-home device with a movable display

Apple is also developing a much more ambitious smart-home device that shouldn’t be confused with the HomePad expected first (see above).

As far back as April 2021, Mark Gurman described a high-end device combining a HomePod speaker, a touchscreen, and a camera mounted on a robotic arm that could follow the user around the room during video calls. Gurman has made various references to this over the years.

The device, previously identified as J595, is reportedly an iPad-like display attached to a motorized robotic arm. The arm would allow the screen to move and reposition itself, potentially following a person around the room during FaceTime calls or turning toward whoever is speaking.

Bloomberg has described it as a higher-end smart-home command center that could combine videoconferencing, home controls and security functions. Unlike the stationary HomePad, this appears to be a significantly more complex—and probably more expensive—product. Earlier reports have suggested a price that could reach around $1,000.

The robotic display is also believed to be further away than the HomePad. Previous reports placed it in late 2026 or 2027 at the earliest, and Apple’s more recent software leaks have focused on the J490 and J491 stationary home hubs rather than J595.

What could the robotic display do?

Reported capabilities include:

• A large display mounted on a motorized arm.
• Automatically turning toward the person using it.
• FaceTime and other video calling.
• Siri AI and smart-home controls.

Cameras and gesture recognition

Reports suggest cameras could support FaceTime, security monitoring and potentially recognition of users or gestures. Apple has also previously filed patents describing HomePod-related gesture controls, although patents do not necessarily indicate features destined for a shipping product.

Associated LG accessories

There is a rumor that LG accessories could accompany Apple’s smart-home launch

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working with LG on a doorbell, smart lock, thermostat and security cameras. These accessories could be announced on October 13, but reportedly would not reach customers for several more months.

The products are expected to carry LG branding, with LG handling manufacturing and support. They are separate from the Apple-branded accessories also rumored to be in development. A separate leak from itspdfu points to an LG temperature and humidity sensor.

What chips will power the new HomePods?

The biggest limitation of today’s HomePods isn’t their speakers – it’s their processors. The HomePod mini still uses the Apple Watch S5 chip introduced in 2019, while the second-generation HomePod runs on the newer, but still relatively modest, S7 chip from the Apple Watch Series 7.

Those chips are powerful enough for music playback, Home controls and existing Siri functions, but they were not designed to run the new Siri AI capabilities introduced with Apple’s OS 27 generation.

That hardware gap helps explain why Apple is expected to introduce new HomePod hardware rather than bringing the full Siri AI experience to the existing models.

HomePod mini 2 & HomePod 3

Gurman has said the main hardware change he has specifically reported for the new HomePods is a faster chip, although he has not identified which processor Apple will use.

HomeView smart-home display

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, both the countertop and wall-mounted versions of Apple’s rumored HomeView smart-home display will use an A18 processor.

Whatever processors Apple ultimately chooses, the goal appears to be the same across the entire HomePod range: replacing ageing Apple Watch chips with modern Apple silicon capable of delivering the full Apple Intelligence experience.

New HomePod Prices

The prices for the HomePods increased in June 2026:

• HomePod: $349/£349 (was $299/£299)
• HomePod mini: $129/£129 (was $99/£99)

Apple raised HomePod prices in June 2026, so we wouldn’t expect the new models to return automatically to the previous $99/$299 price points.

However, a HomePod with a built-in screen could command a higher price. It may launch as a separate product altogether, potentially starting around $399/£399, or higher, depending on features.

Buying advice: Should you wait or buy a HomePod now?

Wait if: You are considering a HomePod mini and can postpone your purchase until after October 13. A replacement is expected at Apple’s gathering, so waiting will let you assess any announcement before choosing between the current and new models.

Buy now if: You need a HomePod immediately and find a worthwhile discount. The current HomePod and HomePod mini still work well as speakers and smart-home hubs, but their older processors mean they aren’t designed for Apple’s newer Siri AI capabilities.

If you want a screen: Wait. Apple’s first dedicated home display appears much closer than the more speculative touchscreen HomePod.

What is on Apple’s Smart Home Roadmap

October 13, 2026: Apple’s “Welcome home” Experience is confirmed. HomePod mini 2 and the HomePad smart display are expected announcements, alongside an updated Apple TV 4K.

October 30, 2026: HomePod mini and Apple TV retail availability, according to Gurman.

Mid-November 2026: HomeView retail availability, according to Gurman.

Beyond 2026: A new full-size HomePod is being tested, but Bloomberg reports that it does not appear imminent.

2027 or later: Apple’s more ambitious robotic home display could follow.

Timing unknown: Apple is also reportedly developing home-security camera hardware.