Apple has never made a smart display. The HomePod has no screen, the Apple TV borrows someone else’s, and an iPad on the kitchen counter doesn’t count. Next Tuesday, that might finally change.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple will unveil three home products on October 13: a brand-new smart home hub, a second-gen HomePod mini, and a refreshed Apple TV 4K. One thread connects all three. Siri AI, the assistant Apple has promised for years, is supposed to finally grow up.
Apple hasn’t officially announced the event — everything below comes from Bloomberg’s reporting.
The home hub Apple should have made years ago
This is the one to watch. A 6-to-7-inch square display, A18 chip or better, Apple Intelligence built in. FaceTime, widgets, clock faces. Gurman reports two versions: a tabletop model with a speaker base and a cheaper wall-mounted one. The software is said to be brand new, possibly called homeOS.
Amazon has sold the Echo Show for years. Google has the Nest Hub. Apple practically invented the premium smart home and showed up with no screen. If the software is good, this is the product that makes Apple’s whole home story click. If Siri still stumbles, it’s another pretty screen. Everything rides on the assistant, not the hardware.
HomePod mini 2
Same design, new internals, most likely. Newer chip, Siri AI, better sound, Wi-Fi 7 through Apple’s N1 chip, second-gen Ultra Wideband, and new colors. Pink and green are rumored.
Simple buying advice: own one already? Skip it. Waiting to buy your first? Wait a week.
Apple TV 4K, now with a real brain
The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K is rumored to get an A19 or A19 Pro chip, with RAM jumping from 8GB to 12GB — a 50% increase — all to run Apple Intelligence and Siri AI on the box.
That much power in a streaming box is overkill for Netflix. Which tells you Apple’s real plan: this thing becomes the home’s computer. Games, smart home control, on-device AI. The streaming box is just the excuse to sell it.
It’s all about Siri, really
A screen for the counter. A better listener. A box with serious chips under the TV. Every product here is a delivery vehicle for Siri AI.
Apple tried this story before and Siri embarrassed them. “This time it’s different” is easy to say. Ship it, then we’ll talk.
Don’t expect the foldable
The iPhone Duo gets its own moment. Pre-orders October 16, deliveries October 23. New Macs and that OLED iPad mini are year-end stories. October 13 belongs to the home.
So: three products, one assistant, zero room for another Siri faceplant. If Apple pulls it off, October 13 is the day the smart home got interesting again. If not, well, the Echo Show is still on sale.
Quick answers
When is Apple’s October 2026 event?
Tuesday, October 13. New smart home products expected.
What’s the new home hub?
A rumored 6-to-7-inch smart display with a speaker base, running new homeOS software with Siri AI.
Is the iPhone Duo launching at this event?
No. The foldable iPhone has its own timeline: pre-orders October 16, deliveries October 23.
What time will Apple’s October 13 event start?
There’s no confirmed time — Apple hasn’t announced the event at all, and Gurman’s reporting mentions only the date, October 13.