IT News on September 30th: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman just reported that Apple plans to make a major entry into the smart home market on October 13th local time. At that time, they will launch their first smart home control hub (Home Hub) product, as well as 2027 models of HomePod, mini, and the new Apple TV.
This will be a key expansion of Apple's product line following the appointment of its new CEO John Ternus. Apple hopes to use the new generation of Siri AI to further connect smart home devices with its existing ecosystem.
Apple's first smart home control hub will feature a square display screen measuring about 6 inches and will be available for wall mounting as well as desktop placement.
Among them, the desktop version with the code name J490 is equipped with a circular metal base, and the screen is connected via metal arms that allow users to manually adjust the pitch angle; the body is made of gray aluminum casing and is powered through the USB-C interface.
The wall-mounted version is codenamed J491. There is a thin square base at the bottom of the screen, which is used to accommodate the speaker and microphone. Like the desktop version, it does not have a built-in battery and requires external power supply.
One of the main features of this device is its support for family member recognition. It can identify the current user through voice or facial recognition, and display contacts, information, calendar, reminders, as well as a personalized application layout based on the corresponding Apple account. When another family member approaches, the interface will automatically switch; in visitor mode, personal information will be hidden.
According to sources, the accuracy of facial recognition is lower than iPhone ( Face ID ). If users enable the secondary identity verification option, it can also require them to complete a secondary authentication through iPhone. When the device is unable to accurately identify the user, iPhone can also be used as an alternative method for verification.
In dimly lit environments, the device provides supplementary lighting through a virtual white ring of lights around the screen (illuminating the area near the camera) to help identify the user. Since the product is primarily intended for indoor use, it is equipped with only one front-facing FaceTime camera and no rear-facing camera.
According to Apple's plan, users can deploy multiple devices in different locations throughout their home. These devices can be used to control smart home products such as thermostats and door locks, as well as perform functions such as video calls, home communication similar to intercoms, music playback, and playing slides from iCloud.
The kitchen is also expected to be an important usage scenario for this device. Users can query recipes via voice, watch videos, or engage in FaceTime calls during the cooking process. It is mentioned that the device's speaker and microphone are located within the base, and the overall thickness is approximately equivalent to that of iPhone.
In terms of design, the desktop version features a rounded square screen with a black border, and there are multiple circles of speaker openings arranged around the base. The overall design is similar to that of the iMac and G4 models from 2002, where the display screen is mounted on a hemispherical base. The device does not have a power button or volume buttons, and it must be continuously connected to a power source.
Gurman stated that the system UI of J490 incorporates design elements from Apple Watch, Apple TV, and iPad, including an application layout similar to iPad, style icons in the Apple Watch style, as well as iPhone style widgets used for displaying stock, calendar, and weather information.
When the device is idle, it can display photo slides and a clock. Moreover, some clocks feature a visual effect similar to "lava lamps," with time displayed in numerical form on top of the image. Users can slide up from the clock or photo interface to access the app launcher, and by holding down, they can adjust the positions of wallpapers, apps, and widgets.
Its pre-installed App includes calendar, information, photos, FaceTime, reminders, music, and podcasts, among others. The information application adopts a two-column design similar to iPad. When users click on the conversation list on the left, the specific conversation content is displayed in the right-hand area.
In addition, Apple will also launch new models of HomePod and mini at that time. This will be the first hardware update for this product since its release in 2020; the overall appearance is expected to remain unchanged, but it will feature a new processor to support the new generation of Siri AI. It is said that the new models of HomePod and mini will also come in additional colors such as green and pink. Furthermore, Apple is also planning to release an enlarged version of the HomePod later on.
Apple TV will also welcome its first update since 2022. It is expected to continue to maintain its current appearance, but it will be equipped with a faster processor to meet the needs of the new generation of Siri AI.
Obviously, the core capabilities of Apple's new generation of smart home products come from the new generation of Siri AI. This system can answer questions by combining user personal data, support online searches to obtain information, and can also naturally control other Apple devices, smart home products, and applications.
Due to multiple delays in the development progress of Siri AI, Apple originally planned to launch this batch of smart home devices at an earlier time, but the product release was also postponed accordingly. With the new generation of Siri hitting the market on devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Apple is finally ready to launch the related hardware as well.
In addition to the aforementioned hardware, Apple continues to expand its smart home ecosystem, further improving HomeKit, and collaborates with third-party manufacturers to develop new types of connected devices that are compatible with the Siri AI home platform. We will continue to follow developments in the IT family.
Apple is also developing a privacy-oriented home security camera and sensor with the codename J450, which can determine the room in which a person is located, but it does not perform video recording.
In addition to J490, Apple is also developing a more advanced version of its smart home control hub. This product will come with a larger 9-inch screen and will be capable of moving the screen using a robotic arm, even allowing for 360° rotation. Of course, this product is still in the early stages of development, and the exact release date has not yet been determined.
