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Apple’s new smart home hub expected to sport a 7-inch square display

MacDailyNews

Oct 17

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According to Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman, the hardware for Apple’s new home hub — a roughly 7-inch square-shaped display—was finalized nearly a year ago. The device was initially planned for a March 2025 launch, aligning with an updated Siri voice assistant powered by advanced AI. However, delays in the core artificial intelligence software led Apple to postpone the hardware rollout too.

After abandoning earlier targets for June and October, the company is now targeting a spring 2026 introduction.

The revamped Siri, now slated for release this coming March, will enable users to pull answers directly from the web—much like interacting with ChatGPT or similar chatbots—while offering finer control over in-app actions. This enhanced capability positions it ideally for a home hub device designed to manage appliances, music playback, and communications seamlessly.

Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
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There are two versions of the home hub. One, code-named J490, has the display mounted on a speaker base. It resembles a screen-equipped version of the HomePod mini. The second, dubbed J491, is designed to be hung on a wall. Development of the wall-mounted version wrapped up after work on the standard tabletop model.
Both devices will include a FaceTime camera and a software interface that dynamically adjusts depending on who is using it. The software will recognize users when they approach the display…
Apple has targeted a price of around $350 for the new [J490] device.
The indoor security camera, code-named J450, is planned for release as soon as the end of next year.
Apple is also planning production for the tabletop robot, which resembles the home hub display but sits on a motorized arm capable of moving the screen around a user’s workspace or kitchen. The motor system has had engineering challenges, and the company has sought to find compelling AI uses for the device. That’s pushed out the current timeline to roughly two years from now.
Apple is targeting a price in the several-hundred-dollar range…
Beyond its motion capabilities and an upgraded, more conversational version of Siri, the tabletop robot will feature a roughly 9-inch display — about the size of an iPad.

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MacDailyNews Take: As per the crux of the issue: a little birdie sings us very positive songs regarding Apple’s all-new next-gen Siri.

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