According to the report, several versions of the home hub, which has been casually dubbed HomePad in the press, are in the works. The so-called “standard version” has a 6-inch display “about as thick as an iPhone” surrounded by chunky black bezels “reminiscent of older iPads.” It will come in Apple’s “standard gray aluminum finish” and has a design that mimics that iMac G4:
The screen sits above a metal, round base with multiple rings of perforated speaker holes and connects to it through a polished metal arm. Users can manually tilt the display forward or backward. And the base has a rubberized bottom to help it stay on a table.
There is a second version of the hub, Gurman reports, that is designed to be mounted on a wall with “a thin, square-shaped base beneath the display that houses the speakers and microphones.” He notes that this model will need to remain connected to power at all times, which could make for some unsightly dangling USB-C cables.
Other than its retro design, the hub is “designed to recognize who is speaking to it or approaching it, and then display personalized content and provide answers based on that person’s data and accounts.” It will switch views automatically based on who walks up to it using voice and facial recognition. However, Gurman notes that the camera system “is less reliable than Face ID on the iPhone.” It can also use a nearby iPhone to authenticate the viewer and will have a “mode for visitors that hides personal information.”
The hub will run a new Siri AI-based operating system that “blends elements of the Apple Watch, Apple TV and iPad interfaces,” and will reportedly display photo slideshows and digital clocks when not in use, similar to Standby mode. Gurman says many of Apple’s first-party apps will be included on the device, including Calendar, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Notes, Reminders, Music and Podcasts, but it doesn’t appear to have an App Store, at least at launch.
Apple is also expected to launch a new HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K with faster processors. The mini is expected to come in new colors but otherwise look the same as the current model. Gurman says Apple is also “working with third-party manufacturers on new devices designed for the Siri AI home platform.”
