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🍎 Apple has reportedly delayed its upcoming smart home display until later this year
📅 The rumored “HomePad” might not arrive until September
🤖 The delay is likely due to Apple wanting to time its release with the launch of the next-generation Siri
📐 Rumors suggest the device has a square display that attaches to a circular speaker base, and can also be mounted to the wall via magnets
🤷♂️ It’s not clear how much it’ll cost yet
We’ve been waiting for Apple to announce its rumored smart home display for some time, and it looks like we’ll be waiting a bit longer. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reports that the much-anticipated “HomePad” has been delayed, this time to this fall, when it could ship alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold. The reason? Apple’s revamped version of Siri won’t ship until iOS 27, which will also be released this fall.
Gurman says that Apple originally planned to release the smart home display this month, since the new Siri was supposed to ship with iOS 26.4. However, because Apple is still working on integrating Gemini and revamping the entire experience, the device needed to have a later ship date to avoid a premature experience. It now seems like we’ll get the HomePad sometime in the fall, likely in September when Apple has its annual iPhone event.
The smart home display has been finished for some time now, according to Gurman. It reportedly has a square-ish display that magnetically attaches to a circular speaker base, almost resembling an old-school iMac. Gurman’s report mentions that the screen can be removed and placed on a magnetic mount you can attach to your wall, which would add extra versatility to the design. It’ll be able to tell who’s looking at the screen using facial recognition to present contextual information like calendar information, music, news, and more.
It’ll come pre-loaded with a bunch of apps arranged in a way similar to how the Apple Watch’s app list looks. You’ll be able to place FaceTime calls, play music, and do other smart home display stuff, similar to Amazon’s Echo Show. It’s not clear if third-party apps will be available on the device, or if Apple will restrict it to its own apps.
We don’t know how much the HomePad will cost or if it’ll even be called the HomePad, but we’re keeping our eyes peeled for any additional details. We’ll let you know when we know more as we get closer to its rumored autumn launch date.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
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