Apple sets 'Welcome home' smart home event in New York for October 13
In short
Apple will hold a product event themed "Welcome home" in New York on October 13 at 9 a.m. US Eastern time, and Chinese outlets report it will focus on smart home products. CLS, IT Home and Huxiu said a smart home hub is expected to lead the event, alongside an updated HomePod mini and a new Apple TV. CLS described the event as an important step for Apple in the smart home field after John Ternus became chief executive last month.
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Apple will hold a product event themed "Welcome home" in New York on October 13 to launch new smart home products, CLS and 36Kr reported, saying the company confirmed the event on Thursday. IT Home reported that Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of marketing, posted a teaser setting the event for 9 a.m. US Eastern time on October 13, or 9 p.m. Beijing time. According to CLS, Apple will release several devices in the hope of reviving its position in the smart home market, an important step in the field after John Ternus became chief executive last month. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
CLS reported that the main product will be a smart home hub, alongside a more powerful Apple TV 4K streaming box and an updated HomePod mini speaker. Huxiu listed the same three products and said new Siri AI is central to all of them. IT Home said the theme suggests Apple's first smart home hub. cnBeta said Apple has not published a product list and that the device drawing the most attention is the long-rumoured HomePad. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 ]
Citing earlier leaks, IT Home said the hub has a 6-inch screen and comes in desktop and wall-mounted versions, the desktop one resembling the iMac G4 with a round metal base and a metal arm. Huxiu gave the internal codenames J490 for the desktop version and J491 for the wall version. Both outlets said the devices have no built-in battery, are powered over USB-C, have a front camera for FaceTime and offer a guest mode that hides personal information. IT Home said the hub runs an operating system codenamed "Charismatic" that may be called homeOS at launch, and estimated an A18 or higher chip with at least 8GB of memory. Huxiu said the new Siri uses a large language model developed with Google's help. [ 2 , 6 ]
IT Home reported that Apple will also work with LG on new smart home devices including video doorbells and indoor cameras. Huxiu said Apple and LG are jointly developing smart locks, cameras, doorbells and thermostats that LG will manufacture, and that the LG accessories are behind Apple's own hardware and expected to need at least several more months. Huxiu also said Apple is working with Schneider Electric. cnBeta said some rumoured accessories may be sold under partner brands rather than Apple's. [ 2 , 3 , 6 ]
Huxiu said the HomePod mini would get its first hardware update since 2020 and the Apple TV its first since 2022, and that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman read the invitation logo, made of fabric-like lines, as a hint at the Thread smart home wireless protocol. cnBeta reported that Apple sent some media invitations to an "Apple Experience" event in New York on the morning of October 13 local time. Huxiu said Ternus wants to rely less on the traditional spring and autumn launch cycles and release products more often through the year. [ 3 , 6 ]
Why it matters
CLS and 36Kr reported that Apple hopes the new devices will revive its position in the smart home market, and Huxiu described the field as an important test for new CEO John Ternus. Huxiu wrote that smart home products could bring new hardware sales and more uses for music, cloud and future home security services, in a market where Amazon and Google have already entered many homes with Echo, Ring and Nest products.
Key facts
- Apple will hold a product event themed "Welcome home" in New York on October 13. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Apple marketing senior vice president Greg Joswiak posted a teaser setting the event for 9 a.m. US Eastern time on October 13, which is 9 p.m. Beijing time, IT Home reported. [ 2 , 5 ]
- A smart home hub, a new HomePod mini and a new Apple TV are expected at the event. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 ]
- John Ternus became Apple's chief executive last month. [ 1 , 4 , 6 ]
- The hub reportedly has a screen of about 6 inches, comes in desktop and wall-mounted versions, has no built-in battery and is powered over USB-C. [ 2 , 6 ]
- Apple is reported to be working with LG on smart home devices including doorbells and cameras. [ 2 , 6 ]
- Huxiu said the HomePod mini would get its first hardware update since 2020 and the Apple TV its first since 2022. [ 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Apple will hold a launch event in New York on October 13. [ 1 , 4 , 6 ]
- The event is themed "Welcome home". [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- A smart home hub, an updated HomePod mini and a new Apple TV are expected. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 ]
- John Ternus took over as Apple's chief executive last month. [ 1 , 4 , 6 ]
- The hub reportedly comes in desktop and wall-mounted versions, runs on USB-C power without a built-in battery, and has a guest mode that hides personal information. [ 2 , 6 ]
- Apple is reported to be working with LG on new smart home devices. [ 2 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Which products Apple will actually launch. cnBeta said Apple has not published a product list; product details in the coverage come from earlier reports and leaks.
- What the hub and its software will be called. cnBeta alone calls the hub HomePad, and IT Home said its operating system, codenamed "Charismatic", may be called homeOS at launch.
- The hub's chip and memory. IT Home estimated an A18 or higher chip and at least 8GB of memory; no other outlet gives these figures.
- When and under which brand the partner accessories will be sold. Huxiu alone said LG's accessories are behind schedule and need at least several more months; cnBeta said some accessories may be sold under partner brands rather than Apple's.
- Whether the new Siri uses a model developed with Google's help. Only Huxiu reported this.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CLS reports that Apple confirmed an October 13 smart home product event in New York. [ 1 ]
- IT Home reports Greg Joswiak's teaser announcing the "Welcome home" event. [ 2 ]
- cnBeta reports Apple has sent some media invitations to an "Apple Experience" event in New York. [ 3 ]
- 36Kr carries the report of the October 13 event. [ 4 ]
- Huxiu publishes a preview of the expected products. [ 6 ]
- The event is scheduled to start on October 13, Beijing time (9 a.m. US Eastern time). [ 2 , 5 ]