{"id":66718,"date":"2026-04-15T23:54:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T21:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/?p=66718"},"modified":"2026-04-15T23:57:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T21:57:39","slug":"apple-homepad-all-rumors-at-a-glance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/en\/allgemein\/apple-homepad-alle-geruechte-im-ueberblick","title":{"rendered":"Apple HomePad: All the rumors at a glance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple has been working on a smart home hub with a display for years \u2013 and it's finally expected to launch in 2026. The so-called HomePad combines the HomePod speaker and an iPad-like display in a completely new device. It would be Apple's direct competitor to Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub \u2013 with one crucial difference: deep integration with HomeKit, Matter, and Apple Intelligence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple has long been a spectator in the smart home market, while Amazon and Google have dominated with displays, cameras, and hub devices. Apple's home ecosystem has so far been limited to the HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV as smart home hubs. That changes with the HomePad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The device, internally codenamed J490<\/strong>, has been hardware-wise complete for months, according to several sources, including Bloomberg, Macworld, and leaker Kosutami. The reason for the delay is the same as with the Apple TV 4K<\/a>: the new, AI-powered Siri isn't ready yet. As we reported in our article Apple plans smart home hub with new Siri this fall<\/a>, the HomePad is waiting for iOS 27 and the LLM-based Siri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple HomePad: The most important points in brief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Detail<\/th>Expectation<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Product<\/td>Smart home hub with 7-inch display<\/td><\/tr>
Code name<\/td>J490<\/td><\/tr>
Chip<\/td>A18 (Apple Intelligence-enabled)<\/td><\/tr>
Display<\/td>7-inch, square, Touchscreen<\/td><\/tr>
Camera<\/td>Ultra-wide angle camera with Face ID for multi-user recognition<\/td><\/tr>
Variants<\/td>Wall-mounted and table-top models with speaker base<\/td><\/tr>
Operating system<\/td>Custom version of tvOS \/ homeOS<\/td><\/tr>
Release<\/td>Autumn 2026 (September\u2013December)<\/td><\/tr>
Price<\/td>Estimated around 350 $ \/ ~399 \u20ac<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Design: Two variants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apple is developing the HomePad in two versions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tabletop model:<\/strong> A display on a speaker base, visually similar to the HomePod mini. Designed for the kitchen, bedroom, or desk \u2013 anywhere quick information and music control are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wall-mounted model:<\/strong> A version with a MagSafe-like magnetic mount that attaches to the wall \u2013 serving as a central smart home panel. Leaker Kosutami reports a prototype with a "snap-to-wall" function and integrated doorbell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The display measures 7 inches in a square format<\/strong> \u2013 roughly the size of two iPhones side by side. It's a touchscreen with proximity sensors that detect when someone approaches and automatically adjust the displayed content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chip and software<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A18 chip with Apple Intelligence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to leaked Apple code, the HomePad will be equipped with the A18 chip<\/strong> \u2013 the same processor as in the iPhone 16. This makes the device powerful enough for Apple intelligence features, including the new, LLM-based Siri with natural conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operating system: homeOS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The HomePad is expected to use its own version of tvOS with iOS-like features. Leaked code contains references to the ChatKit framework<\/strong>, suggesting that the HomePad could support iMessage and text messaging \u2013 features not currently available on Apple TV and HomePod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interface is designed to combine elements of Apple Watch and iPhone StandBy: clean, widget-based, and with contextual ads that change depending on the user and time of day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camera and Face ID<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The built-in front camera goes beyond simple video calls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n