According to a mass of rumors as well as a reveal from long-time Apple watcher, Apple is set to hold an event next week. The event doesn’t appear to be like Apple’s usual public keynotes – such as its September 9 event this year where it revealed the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.
Instead, the upcoming Apple launch seems to be being held behind closed doors on Tuesday, October 13 and it appears to be centred around Apple Home smart devices. While we previously had heard the Oct. 13 date, the event adds a new dimension to proceedings and gives some indication how seriously Apple is taking the launch of these new products.
An impending Apple launch will be no surprise to you if you’ve been reading Stuff’s coverage over recent weeks, since we have expected a new version of the Apple TV 4K to launch before the end of the year – which could be called Apple TV Ultra. This new device will be based around the A17 Pro, which is the lowest-end chip to support Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. There should also be a new networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 and other upgrades, plus Ultra Wideband (UWB) support which would enable you to locate a new Siri remote and even your iPhone.
We’ve also speculated that it could be joined by an upgraded HomePod Mini with Siri AI. So far, so iterative. But the more exciting product should be a HomePod with a display, which may be called a HomePad. This will essentially be a smart home controller, with a big speaker which presumably will run some kind of version of tvOS 27.
It will be very interesting to see Apple’s take on this product and compare it with the numerous attempts from Amazon and Google over the last 8 or 9 years. Reports this year have suggested all three devices have been ready for months and even years, awaiting the relaunch of Siri.
There is also speculation that the HomePad could take design inspiration from the iconic iMac G4.
More to come
I am also expecting some other devices from Apple soon – the iPad Mini (8th generation) is overdue and surely an M6 version of the iMac is on the way as well. There are also continued rumors – latterly because of info from the macOS 27.2 code – that there will be a touchscreen MacBook Ultra (essentially an extreme version of the MacBook Pro). I think these Macs will be with us in November instead as all of this is too much for a single preview event without a large public launch.
Mark Gurman, writing in his Power On newsletter, said that “Apple is planning to hold an event on Oct. 13 to unveil its long-awaited smart home hub with a screen, the new HomePod mini and an updated Apple TV. All three devices will have Siri AI at the core.” Interestingly John Gruber from Daring Fireball predicted there would be a preview event a couple of weeks back.
More smart home devices from Apple – sort of
Furthermore Bloomberg’s Gurman has recently reported that Apple is planning a bunch of Ring-style smart home devices including That includes “a doorbell, thermostat, a smart deadbolt lock, indoor security camera, outdoor security camera and floodlight camera” and that the company has been working with LG as the key partner.
It seems the products will be LG-branded but will – somewhat obviously – be fully compatible with Apple Home. So Apple essentially is having a hand in making the devices but isn’t having to make and market them.
Bloomberg further reports these products are labeled as the LG Video Doorbell Wired, LG Floodlight Cam, LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In, LG Indoor Cam Plug-In, LG Smart Deadbolt Lock, LG Smart Thermostat and LG Temperature Sensor.
Gurman also suggests that Apple will broaden its own home ecosystem in the future “including a privacy-centric home-monitoring device, a version of its smart home hub that attaches the screen to a robotic arm, and an in-home security monitoring service.” Of course Apple already has a huge Apple Home smart home ecosystem using third party devices, but I’d say that if Apple gets its own brand smart home devices more established, don’t bet against it producing its own versions of devices like the LG Video Doorbell that are even more privacy centric.
Naturally all these products will not only support Wi-Fi, but also the open smart home protocols that Apple is a member of – Matter and Thread. The Apple TV of the present from 2022 is already a Matter controller and Thread border router, enabling it to act as the centre of an Apple Home smart home setup. Expect the HomePod and HomePad to do the same.
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