Apple Smart Home Hub Launch Possibly Delayed Until Later in Year

According to Apple, Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub or “command center” may not arrive in the spring as previously expected. BloombergThis is Mark Gurman.

We’ve heard various rumors and reports that Apple is developing an all-in-one smart home control center. It is reported that the device will be equipped with a 7-inch square display, a FaceTime camera and speakers, as well as the new HomeOS operating system with support for several Apple applications. Rumors say users will be able to mount it on a wall, but Apple is also developing a dock that will allow it to be placed on a desk or desk.

Apple originally planned to introduce the Home Hub in March 2025. However, in its latest report Power On Fact SheetGurman says the device “may take longer to reach consumers” due to the operating system’s heavy reliance on App Intents features that won’t be ready until iOS 18.4 and iOS 19. This in itself means that “it is likely that we will send the equipment itself later,” adds Gurman.

Gurman’s prediction coincides with Report for December 2024 Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on the so-called “HomePod with Display” being developed with support for Apple Intelligence. Kuo said the device has been delayed and will go on sale in the third quarter of 2025.

At the time of Kuo’s report, it was not clear whether the products in question were completely different devices (Gurman himself stated that Apple was developing several HomePod options with screensincluding one with an iPad-like display and another with a screen mounted on a robotic arm). However, the coincidence of the two time frames begins to suggest that they are one and the same. Like Gurman over the weekend, Kuo said the delay could be due to software development issues rather than hardware issues.

As a result, Apple could still unveil a smart home hub, announcing it in March, with the actual hardware arriving later this year, sometime after WWDC 2025. Apple is also expected to announce a new smart home hub this spring. Next-generation entry-level iPad with support for Apple Intelligence, iPhone SE 4 and the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with M4 chips.