Apple’s “Welcome Home” event kicks off in New York on October 13th at 9AM ET. The date is confirmed. Almost everything else below is rumour, so treat it that way. The Verge’s preview pulls together the expected lineup, much of it from Mark Gurman’s reporting.
What is rumoured
- A smart home hub. Reportedly a 6-inch square touchscreen that mounts on a wall or sits on a counter. The name is unsettled: HomePad, HomeView, or Apple Home Hub. Gurman reportedly believes HomeView, partly because there would be no App Store.
- homeOS. A new platform said to look like a mashup of iOS, tvOS and watchOS. Apple may have registered the trademark through a shell company called Home Operations Suite LLC.
- Who is talking to it. Voice or facial recognition to pull up the right person’s calendar and contacts, with an optional second check through an iPhone.
- HomePod Mini and Apple TV. Same designs, new processors to handle Siri AI. The Mini reportedly gets new colours, including green and pink. The Apple TV remote may get a built-in mic and a speaker so it is easier to find. Both are expected to use Apple’s N1 chip, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 6.0.
- LG partner devices. Leaked images show LG deadbolts, thermostats and more, reportedly with an NFC “Proximity Control” and a “tap to set up without power” pairing feature.
What it means for a system that is already installed
First, nothing here forces a change on a working house. A hub with a screen is a new way to control what you have, not a reason to rip anything out. The reports say the focus is things like thermostats, locks and FaceTime calls.
Second, the biggest unknown is compatibility. Nothing in the preview says how the hub or homeOS will treat existing accessories, or what happens to a home that currently uses an old HomePod or Apple TV as its home hub. Until Apple publishes specifics, we would not move anything.
Third, be wary of the first-generation trap. A brand new OS on a brand new device category tends to launch with gaps. If the rumoured missing App Store is accurate, the device will only run what Apple ships, which limits what it can replace.
What to check before you buy or update
- Note which device is acting as your Home hub right now, and whether it is on Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
- Wait for Apple’s actual compatibility list before replacing any lock or thermostat on the strength of the leaked LG gear.
- If you were about to buy an Apple TV or HomePod Mini, the refresh is rumoured for this event. Waiting a few days costs little.
- Hold off on major OS updates on a house that matters until real installers report back on them.
Our take
Watch the event, then give it a couple of weeks. The rumours point to a more capable Apple home, but pricing, ship dates, and compatibility with what is already in the walls are all unconfirmed. We will update this once Apple has said what is real.