Apple has announced a special event for Tuesday, October 13, teasing its next product announcements with the message “Welcome home.” The announcement points toward a major expansion of Apple’s smart home lineup.
Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak revealed the date in a social media teaser, confirming the event and its home-focused tagline. Apple has not yet detailed which devices it will unveil.
The announcement follows reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that Apple is preparing to introduce three new home products on October 13: a smart home hub with a display, a refreshed HomePod mini and an updated Apple TV.
The most significant expected introduction is a new touchscreen home hub, informally known as HomePad. The device is reportedly designed to provide a shared interface for controlling connected accessories, using Siri AI and accessing household information.
Apple is also expected to refresh the HomePod mini and Apple TV, with both products reportedly gaining hardware intended to support more capable Siri AI features. Neither product has been confirmed for the event.
The event comes as Apple expands its work with accessory manufacturers. The Apple Post recently reported on Apple’s work with LG on a range of home accessories, including a smart lock, thermostat and security cameras.
The “Welcome home” branding makes Apple’s home ambitions clear, but the full product lineup, pricing and availability will remain unconfirmed until the October 13 presentation.