Bloomberg says Apple's HomePad home hub launches October 13
Bloomberg reports Apple's 6-inch home display, styled after the iMac G4, arrives October 13 with a new HomePod mini and an Apple TV 4K with Siri AI, under CEO John Ternus.
9to5Mac reports that Bloomberg now puts the launch of Apple's long-awaited smart home hub, which it calls the HomePad, on October 13. Earlier reporting said only "as soon as October." Apple has not announced a date, so this rests on Bloomberg's sourcing.
The device is said to have a 6-inch display and a design inspired by the iMac G4, according to the report, with a screen that appears to float above a rounded base. 9to5Mac says the hub is codenamed J490 in earlier reports and is expected in tabletop and wall-mounted versions, and that it would also work as a speaker.
Software is the point of the product, per 9to5Mac's summary of prior reporting. The hub is said to run a new operating system that borrows from iOS and tvOS, plus parts of watchOS and centres on Siri with AI features. Those specifications come from earlier reports, not from the new Bloomberg piece, and none has been confirmed by Apple.
Bloomberg says the products would launch together with a HomePod mini update in new colours and a new Apple TV 4K with Siri AI support. It describes the launch as a critical product expansion for Apple under new chief executive John Ternus, according to the passage 9to5Mac quotes.
9to5Mac adds that Daring Fireball has separately suggested iPhone Duo review units could go out on October 13 or 14, which would fit an Apple event then. That is speculation. The paper found no second outlet confirming the date.