Apple’s upcoming HomePad smart home hub will reportedly take inspiration from one of the company’s most recognizable computers, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman describing the tabletop model as resembling a miniature iMac G4.
The comparison gives us the clearest picture yet of what Apple’s first dedicated smart home display could actually look like when it is reportedly unveiled on October 13.
According to Gurman, the HomePad features a square six-inch display that’s roughly as thick as an iPhone.
The screen is surrounded by a quarter-inch black bezel reminiscent of older iPad models, with rounded corners and no sharp edges.
Apple is reportedly using its standard gray aluminum finish for the device.
The HomePad won’t contain a battery, meaning it will need to remain connected to power at all times. A USB-C port provides power, while the device reportedly has no physical volume or power buttons.
It’s the tabletop version’s stand that makes the design particularly distinctive.
Gurman describes a round metal base beneath the screen with multiple rings of perforated speaker holes.
A polished metal arm rises from the base and connects to the display, allowing users to manually tilt the screen forward or backward to adjust the viewing angle.
The bottom of the base is reportedly rubberized to prevent the HomePad from moving around on a table or countertop.
The arrangement has an obvious historical parallel.
Gurman says the standard tabletop HomePad looks reminiscent of Apple’s famous iMac G4 from 2002, which placed a flat-panel display above a distinctive half-dome base.
The iMac G4’s screen was connected to its base using an adjustable metal arm, allowing the display to be repositioned while the computer itself remained stationary.
Apple’s new HomePad reportedly follows a similar basic idea on a much smaller scale, replacing the iMac’s computer-filled base with speakers and microphones designed for use around the home.
That description is also remarkably close to The Apple Post’s HomePad concept, which we created after earlier reports described a small display positioned above a speaker-style base.
Our concept similarly imagined the HomePad with an adjustable display, polished metal connection, and HomePod-inspired speaker underneath, while drawing direct inspiration from the iMac G4.
The actual HomePad design described by Gurman is considerably smaller than an iPad.
A six-inch square display would make the device compact enough to sit on a kitchen counter, desk, bedside table, or shelf without taking up the space of a conventional tablet.
The front of the display reportedly includes a single FaceTime camera, while the microphones and speakers are built into the connected base.
Apple is also developing a wall-mounted version.
That model reportedly uses the same basic display but replaces the tabletop speaker base with a mounting system designed to position the HomePad directly on a wall.
The two designs would allow Apple to pitch the device for different rooms and uses, with the tabletop model acting more like a smart speaker and display while the wall-mounted version could function as a permanent smart home control panel.
Apple is reportedly preparing to unveil the HomePad on October 13 alongside a new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K.
The device is expected to place Siri AI at the center of the experience, with support for smart home controls, FaceTime, media playback, personal information, widgets, and different experiences for individual members of a household.
Apple hasn’t officially announced the HomePad, and the name itself remains unofficial.
But Gurman’s detailed description means we now have a much clearer idea of Apple’s approach to the hardware: rather than simply attaching a screen to a HomePod, Apple appears to be revisiting one of the most distinctive designs in its history for an entirely new product category.
