Apple’s “Welcome Home” Event: A New Smart Home Hub, HomePod Mini and Apple TV Refreshes, and What Else to Expect
Apple is now just days away from its highly anticipated “Welcome Home” launch event, and the rumor mill is working overtime. Scheduled to take place in New York on October 13th at 9AM ET, the event is expected to be one of the company’s most smart home-focused presentations in years. According to the latest round of reports, Apple is preparing to unveil several new products and software initiatives designed to strengthen its presence in the connected home — an area where it has often played a supporting role rather than taking center stage. Among the expected announcements are refreshes to the HomePod Mini and Apple TV, the introduction of a brand-new smart home hub, the possible debut of a new operating system called homeOS, and a handful of partner devices from LG.
But while the event could be packed with smart home news, there is one long-rumored product that probably won’t make an appearance: the touchscreen MacBook. Apple tipster Mark Gurman has suggested that the long-awaited laptop is still on the way, but it will reportedly debut later in the month rather than at this particular event. That means fans hoping for a glimpse of Apple’s entry into the touchscreen laptop market will likely need to wait a little longer. For now, the focus is squarely on the home — and on Apple’s attempt to become a more central player in how we live with technology every day.
A Bigger Push Into the Smart Home
Until now, Apple’s approach to the smart home has been relatively understated. The company has primarily relied on the Home app to let users control lights, thermostats, locks, speakers, and other connected devices. That approach has worked well enough, but it has also left Apple in a somewhat reactive position compared to competitors like Amazon and Google, both of which have built dedicated smart home hardware ecosystems with booming voice assistants and displays. Apple has clearly been eager to tackle this market more fully, and “Welcome Home” may be the company’s most significant step yet.
At the heart of these rumors is a brand-new smart home hub device. The product has been referred to by several possible names, including HomePad, HomeView, and, somewhat more generically, Apple Home Hub. Regardless of what it is ultimately called, the hardware itself is expected to feature a 6-inch square touchscreen that can be mounted on a wall or placed on a table or countertop. According to Mark Gurman, the countertop version will have a design that nods to the iconic iMac G4, with the display attached to an arm that emerges from a half-sphere base. This aesthetic would mark a departure from the clean, puck-like shapes that have defined much of Apple’s smart home lineup, giving the hub a more distinctive and somewhat nostalgic look.
Gurman has also weighed in on what the device might be called. He reportedly believes it will be known as HomeView rather than HomePad. That decision, in his view, is driven at least in part by the fact that the hub will not offer an iPad-like experience. Specifically, the device will reportedly not have an App Store. That may seem like an odd omission for an Apple product, but it makes sense in the context of a device intended to be more of a dedicated smart home controller than a general-purpose tablet. Without a broad app ecosystem, the hub can be more focused, more secure, and easier for all members of a household to use.
The new hub is also expected to be highly personalized. Reports suggest that it will use voice recognition or facial recognition to identify the person interacting with it. Once a user is recognized, the home hub will pull up relevant contacts, calendar appointments, and other personal information. For those who are concerned about privacy, Apple will reportedly offer the option for secondary identification through an iPhone, which would help keep personal data more secure. This is a clever approach, balancing convenience with the kind of privacy protections that Apple has built its reputation on.
A New Operating System: homeOS
The hardware itself is only part of the story. The hub will reportedly run a new software platform called homeOS, a name that Apple may have quietly secured through a shell company called Home Operations Suite LLC. Apple has used shell companies before to file trademarks for products and services before their official unveiling, so the existence of this registration is a strong hint that homeOS is real and imminent.
According to Gurman, homeOS will feature a streamlined interface that “looks like a mashup of iOS, tvOS and watchOS.” The design language will likely feel familiar to Apple users, while still being optimized for the unique demands of a smart home hub. The focus, unsurprisingly, will be on smart home applications — controlling thermostats, managing smart locks, adjusting lighting, and monitoring security. The operating system will also be capable of making FaceTime calls, which could make the hub a useful communications device for families and households.
In addition to smart home controls, homeOS is expected to include a range of standard Apple apps and widgets. Users will likely have access to Apple Music, Podcasts, and News, as well as Reminders, Notes, and Siri AI. This means the hub could function as more than just a control panel for connected devices; it might also serve as a digital assistant, a family calendar, and a messaging hub. Given that Apple has been pushing Siri AI heavily across its product lineup, it would be surprising if the new home hub did not include some significant AI-powered features.
HomePod Mini and Apple TV: Modest but Meaningful Updates
Alongside the new smart home hub, Apple is expected to refresh two of its existing home-focused products: the HomePod Mini and the Apple TV. Word is that not much is changing in terms of design, but the internal hardware will see a notable upgrade. Both products are expected to feature Apple’s N1 chip, which will include support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 6.0. The new processor is primarily intended to help handle the added demands of Siri AI, which requires more processing power than previous versions of the assistant.
For the HomePod Mini, this will be the first update since the device was originally announced on October 13th, 2020. That date is notable because it falls exactly six years before the Welcome Home event. This is effectively a birthday of sorts for the HomePod Mini, although Apple is reportedly not making any dramatic changes to celebrate. The speaker will likely keep the same overall design and sound profile, but the new processor should make it faster, more responsive, and better equipped to handle Siri AI requests. Apple will also be adding new color options, including green and pink, which should give the speaker a fresh visual appeal.
The Apple TV, meanwhile, is getting its first hardware refresh since 2022. That is a long gap for a product that has historically been updated on a more regular basis. The new processor will not only support Siri AI, but it will also speed up navigation, which can become a bit laggy over time. One particularly interesting rumor is that the new Apple TV will have an integrated microphone, allowing users to control it with Siri without having to talk into the remote or rely on a paired HomePod. The remote itself is also expected to gain a speaker, which would make it much easier to find if you happen to lose it between the couch cushions. It is a small quality-of-life improvement, but one that Apple users have likely been hoping for.
LG and Other Partner Devices
In addition to Apple’s own hardware, the Welcome Home event will likely include mentions of products from partner companies that integrate with HomeKit and offer new features built on top of homeOS and Apple’s new smart home hub. LG is expected to be one of the most prominent partners in this regard. There have already been leaks of LG smart home devices, including deadbolts, thermostats, and temperature sensors, all of which appear designed to work seamlessly with Apple’s ecosystem.
One particularly interesting leaked feature is an NFC-based “Proximity Control.” This would allow an iPhone to detect when it is held near a compatible LG device, and it would pop up a helpful hint in the iPhone’s Dynamic Island. This kind of interaction could make setup and control feel much more intuitive. Instead of opening an app and searching for a device, users would simply hold their phone near the product to trigger contextual controls.
Another rumored feature is a “tap to set up without power” pairing function. This would allow devices to be configured even before they are connected to a power source, which would significantly streamline installation. For smart home enthusiasts who have struggled with finicky setup processes, this kind of feature could be a welcome change.
However, don’t expect Apple to share too much of the spotlight with its partners. Apple tends to highlight its own ecosystem first, and third-party devices are often shown as accessories to the main experience. That is likely to be the case here as well, with LG products serving as proof that Apple’s smart home platform is open to developers and manufacturers while still keeping the core experience firmly under Apple’s control.
What About the Touchscreen MacBook?
The absence of the touchscreen MacBook from this event is worth a moment of reflection. The device has been the subject of rumors for years, and many Apple fans have grown increasingly eager to see the company finally embrace touch input on its Mac lineup. Windows laptops with touchscreens have been commonplace for years, and Apple’s refusal to add touch to the Mac has often seemed stubborn. Gurman’s assertion that the device will debut later this month suggests that Apple has not abandoned the project. If anything, the company may simply be saving it for a dedicated event, where it can get the attention it deserves without being overshadowed by smart home announcements. For now, those hoping for a touchscreen MacBook will need to keep waiting — but perhaps not for long.
What to Expect Overall
As the October 13th event approaches, the picture is becoming much clearer. Apple appears ready to make its most serious commitment to the smart home category in years. The new hub, whatever it ends up being called, has the potential to become the central control point for the modern Apple-connected household. With its 6-inch touchscreen, new homeOS platform, and deep integration with Siri AI, it could be exactly the product Apple needs to compete with Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub.
The refreshes to HomePod Mini and Apple TV will be more modest but still important. They reflect Apple’s commitment to keeping its existing home devices up to date and capable of supporting the AI-powered features that are likely to define the next few years of software development. The inclusion of the N1 chip with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 6.0 support will ensure these devices remain relevant for years to come.
Of course, until Apple steps on stage, not everything is certain. Rumors are still rumors, and the company has a tendency to surprise even the most informed analysts. But given the volume and consistency of reports from multiple sources, it seems safe to expect a significant new chapter in Apple’s smart home story. Whether that story will be enough to earn the company a larger share of the connected home market remains to be seen. But with a new hub, a new operating system, and a growing list of partner devices, Apple is clearly ready to welcome everyone home.
Update October 11th, 2026: This story has been updated with additional rumors from Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter.
