The MacRumors Show
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PodcastThe MacRumors Show
Publisher/creatorThe MacRumors Show
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About this episode
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we look ahead to Apple's recently announcedOctober 13 event and its expected push into the smart home market, including a dedicated home hub, the HomePod mini 2, and a new Apple TV.
Apple is expected to introduce its first smart home hub, a new HomePod mini, and an updated Apple TV 4K, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Siri AI is expected to be central to all three devices, following years of delays.
The impending launch also comes amid Apple's reported efforts under CEO John Ternus to introduce products more frequently and accelerate development. Moving beyond predictable spring and fall release cycles could give Apple more opportunities to experiment, particularly in categories where existing products have gone years without substantial hardware changes.
The home hub is expected to feature a square 6-inch display, with a tabletop version resembling the iMac G4 and a separate wall-mounted model. Its new operating system reportedly combines customizable clock and photo displays, Apple Watch-style app icons, and iPad-like layouts. A range of apps including FaceTime, Music, Calendar, Notes, and more should make it useful for quick interactions throughout the day. Facial and voice recognition will bring up individual profiles, while a guest mode will hide personal information from visitors. The device is rumored to start at around $350.
The Apple TV 4K is rumored to tout an A19 or A19 Pro chip, additional memory, Apple's N1 networking chip, and an updated Siri Remote, while retaining its existing design. The hardware should improve gaming performance and enable Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.
The HomePod mini 2 is also expected to retain its current design, with leaked images revealing green, pink, and lighter blue finishes alongside white and black. A faster S-series chip would support Siri AI. A new full-sized HomePod is reportedly planned for a later date. Separately, software findings point to four-HomePod surround sound mode.
Apple's reported collaboration with LG could help expand the ecosystem around the home hub. The planned lineup includes a video doorbell, deadbolt lock, thermostat, and temperature sensor, along with indoor, outdoor, and floodlight cameras. These would carry LG branding, with Apple reportedly contributing to their development.
Apple's longer-term plans also include its own privacy-focused camera and sensor, reportedly designed to analyze the home without recording video. A higher-end home hub with a 9-inch display mounted on a robotic arm also reportedly remains in development.
Apple has now announced a product event for Tuesday, October 13, sharing a "Welcome home" teaser. Selected members of the media have been invited to an "Apple Experience" in Tribeca, New York, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
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Episode summary
This AI-generated Shortcast summary may omit nuance. Use the original episode when context or exact wording matters.
Welcome back to The Mac and Reshow. Sorry we vanished for a week; we do that and tell nobody. I took a real break from everything, terrible timing with an Apple smart-home hub, Apple TV 4K, and the first HomePod Mini refresh in seven years possibly landing next week.
The Mini has held up for timers and casual music, but Siri AI is overdue. Reports point to Apple escaping its spring-and-fall rhythm, with John Ternus speeding decisions and shipping more often. Apple has been too cautious: AirPods Max and HomePod went stale. Flatten the hierarchy, let engineers talk directly, and try weird hardware again.
As a creator, more hardware more often? One hundred percent okay with me. Eventually I want things to talk about, not just speculation. I only worry Apple floods the zone and makes everything less special.
The hub sounds like a six-inch square screen on a rounded speaker base or a wall. I want one system for cameras, Google Home, lights, and thermostats, not this whole mess. But it has to work; HomeKit gear is not exactly flawless.
I’m excited because it may not be an iPad: a playful domed base, colors, watch-style icons, and apps for Music, Calendar, FaceTime, and Photos. The square screen is for a recipe or quick video, not replacement. But around $350, “one in every room” is a huge ask. Widgets seem likely; a full app store is less certain.
Personal profiles are my curiosity. Camera and voice recognition sound nice until my kid wrecks my listening profile. Photos had better beat our Nest Hub, which once greeted everyone with a close-up selfie of my lip. Yeah, no.
Guest detection and optional iPhone authentication could protect shared messages, and FaceTime makes the camera matter. Apple’s photo picks are generally good. More important, I want location-aware suggestions and Apple Intelligence noticing accessories I use, not a square version of the clumsy Home app.
My issue is the ecosystem. If non-HomeKit cameras and third-party gear cannot show up, what am I buying? I want instant feeds and never “No Response.” Google Home can work perfectly while HomeKit says everything is dead.
That is not my experience; newer HomeKit architecture is reliable for me, though the Home app is clumsy. The reported LG collaboration could quickly put reliable doorbells, locks, thermostats, sensors, and cameras in Apple Stores, with Apple helping integration. That is a serious commitment beyond HomePod.
And we still have Apple TV and Mini. Better chips and Siri AI are cool, but Apple TV should know what I like, find action movies across apps, and put useful stuff forward. I’m excited for next week—and roast Hartley for buying a silver iPhone 18 Pro after dismissing the silver 17 Pro upgrade. Same-shirt energy.
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