Apple’s long-delayed smart home hub launch set for October 13

Apple is set to launch its long-delayed smart home hub on October 13 in a bid to expand its footprint in the smart-home market.

According to Bloomberg while citing the sources familiar to the matter, the hub will come with a new code-named J490.

Moreover, the iPhone maker company, as per reports, is expected to announce the first update to the HomePod mini. The potentially upcoming update would be the first one since the device's 2020 debut and its first new TV set-top box since ​2022.

The shift in strategy comes after Apple's leadership transition as John Ternus took the position of CEO this month. Apple’s smart-home expansion remains anchored by its flagship product iPhone.

Speaking about the current lineup, the company is offering HomePo, HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K as a part of smart-home and entertainment products.

The upcoming smart-home hub will include a new device featuring a roughly 6-inch square display, comparable to Amazon's Echo and Google Home devices.

The devices are available in versions designed to be mounted on a wall or placed on a countertop.

The lineup will be focused on personalization, capable of recognizing individual household members to deliver personalized content and responses based on their accounts and data.

As per reports, the new HomePod mini and Apple TV will keep their current designs but receive faster processors.

The hardware upgrades are intended to support Siri's more powerful AI models, following Apple's long-delayed overhaul of Siri unveiled in June to bolster its AI capabilities.