Apple sets October 13 Welcome Home event for smart home devices

Apple on 8 October announced a product launch for Tuesday, 13 October, tagged 'Welcome home'. Apple's senior vice-president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak, posted a teaser video reading 'Welcome home. October 13.' The company also sent press invitations to an 'Apple Experience' in Tribeca, New York, at 9:00 a.m. ET on 13 October, where attendees are expected to get hands-on time with new products.engadget.com+1

The announcement matters because it marks Apple's second event of the fall and its clearest push yet into smart home hardware. Rather than a traditional keynote, Apple appears to be holding a hands-on experience in New York while others learn about the devices through press releases on launch day. The focus on home products signals that Apple is betting on the connected household as its next hardware battleground.macrumors.com

What the invitation confirms

Because the New York visits begin at 9:00 a.m. on the 13th, that may be when announcements happen. Engadget confirmed the event is set for 9 a.m. ET in Tribeca, New York, and quoted the invite: 'We look forward to welcoming you to an Apple Experience.'

Expectations centre on at least three devices, one of them all-new: a home hub, a refreshed Apple TV 4K, and a HomePod mini update. 9to5Mac listed the expected lineup as a new Apple TV 4K, a 'HomePad', and a HomePod mini 2, and reported that leaked LG home accessories, co-developed with Apple, may also be unveiled. Engadget said Apple is expected to unveil its long-expected HomePad alongside the Apple TV and HomePod mini refreshes.

The home hub is the centrepiece. MacRumors describes it as a cross between an iPad and a HomePod with a 6-inch square display, designed as a multi-person device to control smart home products, place FaceTime calls, watch videos, show news, weather and calendar events. Siri AI is central, with voice as the main interaction method. Engadget reported the device, expected to be called HomePad, is said to have a seven-inch display and a dashboard similar to iPhone StandBy mode.

The home hub, rumoured in detail

Two hardware versions are rumoured: one wall-mounted, one with a half-dome speaker base similar in design to the iMac G4. A camera and presence sensor detect when a person is in the room and identify who it is, using facial recognition to show a custom interface with widgets and apps. Pricing could start at around $350, and Apple envisions people installing hubs in multiple rooms. The hub will run a version of tvOS that could be called homeOS.

The HomePod mini refresh brings new colours, a faster S-series processor supporting Siri AI, and an N1 networking chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. The Apple TV 4K is expected to get an A19 or A19 Pro chip, more RAM (8GB or 12GB), the same N1 chip, and an upgraded Siri Remote. Engadget noted recent macOS beta code suggests the revamped speaker may also gain a display with an Apple Watch-style interface.

Some details remain unsettled. Timing of the launch itself is unknown, and it remains unclear whether there will be a full event component or whether devices debut via press releases. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported, per Engadget, that Apple delayed the device until Siri AI was ready.

What else Apple has planned

Apple has more planned after 13 October. Other Macs in development include an OLED touchscreen MacBook, an M6 iMac, and a possible 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M6 chip.9to5mac.com

Engadget reported that October is a big month for Apple beyond this event: the company is set to release the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, in a couple of weeks. The smart home event therefore sits inside a broader fall hardware cycle, with the home hub, Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini leading off and Macs and the iPad mini following on 27 October.

The next fixed point is Tuesday, 13 October, when the Apple Experience opens in Tribeca, New York, at 9:00 a.m. ET. Attendees will get hands-on time with whatever Apple introduces, and press releases are expected for those not attending.