Apple could be just weeks away from entering an entirely new product category with HomePad, its long-rumored smart home hub, and The Apple Post has created a concept imagining what the device could look like.
The concept, created by The Apple Post, is based on details reported about Apple’s upcoming smart home device and imagines the tabletop version as a compact display mounted above a HomePod-style speaker.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is reportedly preparing to unveil its new smart home hub on October 13 as part of a wider push into connected-home hardware.
The device, internally known by the codename J490 and commonly referred to as HomePad, is expected to feature a roughly square touchscreen measuring around seven inches.
Image: The Apple Post
One version of the product will reportedly position that display above a half-dome speaker base, a description that naturally brings together elements of the iPad and HomePod mini.
Bloomberg’s reporting describes the tabletop model as using a half-dome speaker base, but Apple hasn’t publicly shown the device or confirmed its final industrial design.
A second version is reportedly designed to attach directly to a wall using a magnetic mounting system, potentially allowing customers to place HomePad units in kitchens, bedrooms, hallways, and other areas around the home.
As The Apple Post reported earlier today, Apple is said to be planning an October 13 introduction alongside the HomePod mini 2 and a new Apple TV 4K.
The hardware is only part of the story.
Image: The Apple Post
HomePad is expected to be built around Apple’s new Siri AI, allowing users to control smart home accessories, access personal information, make FaceTime calls, play media, use Intercom, and interact with widgets and other Apple services from the display.
The device could even recognize which member of a household is standing nearby and adjust the information shown on screen accordingly.
We’ve broken down the HomePad’s reported features in more detail here.
