The company is reportedly rebooting its smart home ambitions with a smart display and a whole bunch of other accessories.
Apple is hosting its second fall event on October 13, and the "Welcome home" tagline on its invitation heavily suggests it will be focused on smart home products. Depending on your perspective, you could trace the company's entry into the space with the introduction of the Apple TV, HomeKit or the first HomePod, but this new push is reportedly built around the improved functionality of Siri AI and several new pieces of hardware that will run it.
The star of that new hardware lineup will reportedly be the company's first smart display, but it's also expected to introduce updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini alongside it, too, and possibly a whole lot more. Here's the full rundown of new products Apple could announce at its smart home event.
All recent reporting indicates Apple is ready to launch its first smart display, a device that marries the audio and AI assistant capabilities of a HomePod with a display that can showcase photos, run apps and act as a dedicated FaceTime device.
Bloomberg reports Apple's so-called "HomePad" will feature a 6-inch square display that will be available attached to a round, HomePod mini-style speaker or a smaller audio set-up that can be mounted alongside the display on a wall. The primary method for interacting with the HomePad is Siri AI, but the device's new tvOS-based "homeOS" will also support touchscreen interactions and include some of the customizable interface elements of the Apple Watch and the iPhone's StandBy mode.
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