Apple 'Welcome Home' Launch: Everything to Expect Tomorrow
Apple's "Welcome Home" product launch is happening tomorrow. As the name suggests, Apple is going to debut new home accessories, including the long-rumored home hub. Below, we've listed all the rumors we know about the three devices Apple is set to introduce. HomeView Apple's home hub, which will be called HomeView, is a multi-function device designed for all of a home's occupants. It's built around Siri AI, and will have an A18 chip and 8GB of RAM. Here's what rumors suggest it'll be able to do: Answer questions with Siri AI Control smart home devices Display the time and weather Display widgets, including widgets from a connected iPhone Show each user their calendar events and reminders Play music, podcasts, and audiobooks Play videos, TV shows, and movies Show photos, slideshows, and home movies Support video calls Show the news Show messages and emails Display recipes and instructions when completing tasks The hub will be able to do anything you might want a home assistant device to do, from giving the next steps of a recipe to suggesting dinner ideas and creating a shopping list. It will rely heavily on Siri AI for voice-based input, but it will also have a 6-inch touch display. The display is square with bezels around the edges, and there are two models. One version can be mounted on the wall, and the other is attached to a half-dome speaker base with a flexible arm for adjusting tilt. The hub isn't expected to have its own App Store, but it will support Apple apps such as Safari, News, Music, Reminders, Calendar, Weather, Messages, FaceTime, Photos, and Mail. There will be a presence sensor and a camera in the hub, and it will use a variation of Face ID to determine who is nearby to show customized content. It will display information from a linked iPhone, like email messages, but only after authenticating. The sensors in the hub will be usable in HomeKit scenes and automations, so you can use it to trigger lights and other devices when a person walks into the room. The interface will be heavily widget-based so you can see information at a glance, and it's likely going to look similar to StandBy mode on the iPhone. You will be able to choose your preferred clock face or idle state, along with a home screen of widget options that you can tap to open a full app. If you have multiple hubs, they'll link together for features like multi-room music and intercom functionality. Rumors suggest that it will have better sound quality than the HomePod mini. There isn't going to be a built-in battery, and the hub will need to be connected to power via an included USB-C port. The speaker-equipped version is expected in multiple colors, including gray, silver, starlight, and rose. The wall-mounted version will be available in silver and gray. Rumors suggest the hub could be priced somewhere around $350. Apple TV 4K Apple isn't updating the design of the Apple TV, so expect the new model to be the same boring black box. What's changing is entirely inside. The Apple TV 4K is going to get a lot more powerful so it can support Siri AI, offering many of the same Siri features that are available on iPhone and iPad in iOS and iPadOS 27. We're expecting an A19 with 8GB of RAM, along with Apple's N1 networking chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. The A19 will bring a major upgrade in performance, both for Siri and for gaming. It has ray tracing, mesh shading, and other features that will improve gameplay graphics. There will be a new Siri Remote with an included speaker to make it easier to find, and we've seen some signs that Apple is working on its own gaming controller under the Beats brand, but there's no word on whether it's ready to launch. Apple will likely emphasize Siri AI and gaming capabilities when introducing the Apple TV. Apple raised the price of the current Apple TV to $199 in June, and the new model will be at least that expensive with the processor and RAM upgrades. HomePod mini Like the Apple TV 4K, the HomePod mini isn't going to get a new design, but it will have internal upgrades that make it more capable. It's going to get an upgraded S10 chip, second-generation UWB for features like Handoff, and the N1 networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. You'll need a nearby AI-capable device for Siri AI processing because the HomePod probably won't be able to handle much on-device, but smarter Siri should make for a better experience. Siri AI on HomePod mini will have the context of Siri interactions on other devices, and it's likely conversations will be saved to a connected iPhone's Siri app. Siri AI can answer follow-up questions, handle multi-request queries, and access information from your apps. It'll be similar to having ChatGPT or Claude on a speaker. Though design updates aren't expected, the HomePod mini will get new colors. We're expecting white, blue, black, sage, and pink. HomePod mini pricing went up from $99 to $129 in June 2026, and the new model will likely be priced at $129 too. LG Accessories Apple worked with LG to make an LG-branded wired video doorbell, thermostat, smart deadbolt lock, temperature sensor, indoor security camera, outdoor security camera, and floodlight camera that will work with the home hub and the HomeKit platform. The accessories are part of an "Apple Home Collection" that will be marketed alongside the HomeView. They won't be ready until later this year at the earliest, but Apple could show them off during the announcement. Announcement Timing There's no keynote event for the "Welcome Home" product debut, so Apple is probably going to release a video and an accompanying set of press releases. There's an NYC media event that's going to take place at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 13, and that could be when all of the announcements happen. The NYC event will let members of the media get some hands-on time with the new devices to share first impressions. Pre-Orders and Launch Date Apple could begin accepting pre-orders just after the new devices launch. The HomePod mini and the Apple TV 4K are going to launch on Friday, October 30. The HomeView won't be available right away and is expected to ship to customers in mid-November.This article, "Apple 'Welcome Home' Launch: Everything to Expect Tomorrow" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
