Cupertino is finally plotting a massive expansion into smart-home hardware, aiming to breathe new life into an aging ecosystem currently defined by the 4-to-6-year-old HomePod mini and Apple TV. According to a 9To5Mac report, this aggressive roadmap accelerates into 2026 and beyond as Apple battles to reclaim ground from Amazon and Google.
This represents a major shift from when the first Apple TV was introduced on the same day as the iPhone, which Steve Jobs famously dismissed as a mere "hobby" device. Now, the company is preparing several new products to expand its lineup beyond existing iterations.
New Smart Displays and HomeOS
Leading the charge is an entirely new category for the tech giant: a dedicated smart home hub often dubbed the "HomePad" or "command center". This all-in-one management hub is outfitted with a square 7-inch LCD display, integrated speakers, and a FaceTime camera. Under the hood, an A18 processor will drive the device to handle Apple Intelligence seamlessly, running on a brand-new operating platform dubbed homeOS.
Manufacturing for the hardware's 7-inch LCD panel has been awarded exclusively to China-based Tianma Microelectronics. Apple's first smart home hub will reportedly come in multiple variants, including a wall-mounted screen using a magnetic system, and a tabletop robotic home hub attached to a speaker base.
Although tech watchers initially anticipated a launch earlier in the spring of 2026, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Siri-related technical hurdles pushed the debut window back. The smart hub product is now set to debut sometime between October and early next year.
Upgraded HomePods and Apple TV
Traditional living room staples aren't being ignored, as fresh iterations of the Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini 2, and HomePod 3 are actively in the pipeline. However, engineers have stalled these hardware revisions to align with the release of a totally overhauled, AI-powered Siri. That new voice assistant is slated to drop alongside iOS 27 this coming fall.
Consumers can expect the revamped HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K to hit store shelves later this autumn, trailing closely behind those major OS 27 software updates. This upcoming refresh could represent Apple's biggest expansion of the HomePod lineup since its debut, blurring the line between voice speaker and smart display.
Laying the essential groundwork for this modern ecosystem, Apple already sunset its legacy HomeKit architecture earlier this year on February 10, 2026. This transition effectively revoked the iPad's status as a home hub, restricting that exclusive responsibility to the Apple TV 4K or HomePod. Apple also continues to lean on the Matter standard, with the Matter 1.5 update adding support for security cameras and energy management into the Home app.
Future Cameras and Doorbell
Looking past the late 2026 and early 2027 hardware rush, Cupertino's secret labs are cooking up even more domestic gadgets. Most notably, the company is preparing its first proprietary video doorbell and a smart security camera.
Hints of this impending camera hardware are buried inside the upcoming iOS 27 HomeKit Secure Video enhancements. The software update teases features like cross-room video stitching, 4K recording capabilities, and smart AI summaries. Still, buyers shouldn't hold their breath for a launch this year, as a 2026 launch isn't a sure thing and might slip to a later time.