Apple’s upcoming smart home display could feature an iMac-like base from a couple of decades ago. The smart home screen also could sport a display size similar to “two iPhones side by side.”
And a reasonable price tag could put it in range for many buyers.
Apple’s first smart display might pack a small screen
Apple failed to penetrate the smart home market with the HomePod. Launched in 2018, the speaker stood out for its outstanding sound quality but struggled due to its high price and Siri’s limited usefulness. A few years later, Apple tried again with the HomePod mini, launching its smaller smart speaker to a more affordable price point.
Still, Apple trails both Google and Amazon in the smart home market. Unlike the other two rivals, it does not offer a smart home display. But that should change in 2025, with multiple reports revealing Apple’s plans to launch a smart home display by next year.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman offered more details about Apple’s upcoming smart display meant to act as a hub for controlling your smart home. Apparently, the device will have a “square display” that will “be about the size of two iPhones side by side.” A leak from March 2023 points to the device featuring a 7-inch display.
The screen purportedly will sit on a small base, similar to the iMac G4‘s “sunflower” design, still beloved decades after its release. The base presumably will house the speakers.
An affordable price tag?
The display size suggests Apple will price the smart home display competitively. The device reportedly will run a new operating system called homeOS and use many of the iPad’s system apps, like FaceTime, Notes and Calendar. It also will support Apple Intelligence, with the AI and engineering teams inside the company reportedly collaborating closely on the project.
Gurman says the smart home display will launch next year.
Apple is also working on a more expensive smart home display with a larger screen on a robotic arm. Rumors indicate it will cost around $1,000 and launch in 2026.
