Apple’s new smart hub could look like a HomePod with a seven-inch screen attached to it, and a higher-end version of the same device could even have a robot arm that lets it track users around the room. In his latest Power On! newsletter, Mark Gurman lays out what fans can expect from the new device. It aims to improve on the capabilities of the existing HomePod and elevate Apple HomeKit to a higher level. Gurman said, “I still consider it Apple’s most significant release of the year because it’s the first step toward a bigger role in the smart home.”
Currently, HomeKit users can set up a home hub using either the HomePod, HomePod Mini, Apple TV, or similar device. Its new smart home hub is rumored to be part of an attempt to elevate HomeKit to the same level of Alexa or Google Assistant.
Gurman calls the new smart device a “smaller and cheaper iPad that lets users control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats and handle other tasks.” It doesn’t sound like the new hub will stand alone, though; Gurman goes on to say that it “should be followed by a higher-end version in a few years.” That version should be able to pan and tilt to keep users in-frame during video calls, or just to keep the display visible as someone moves around the home.
This information contradicts earlier leaks that predicted a six-inch screen, but they do corroborate other details like the idea Apple would combine an iPad and AI features with a HomePod. Other details are still known, like whether the device will use an original operating system. The overall plan is to make the new smart device the center of an Apple-based smart home and open the doors to a more conversational Siri.