Apple's Smart Home Hub Launch Delayed to 2026, Tied to New AI-Powered Siri

Apple's Smart Home Hub Is Reportedly Delayed Until 2026

Apple's smart home hub is rumored to be an iPad-like device designed to interact with all of your gadgets in a similar way to a Google Nest speaker or Amazon Echo. The smart home gadget has been rumored for a while, and Apple was reportedly aiming for a March 2025 release. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in his Power On newsletter, he now believes the smart home hub won't be launching until 2026, matching when the new AI-powered Siri is expected to land. Back in May, sources suggested Apple may be able to hit a late 2025 launch date, but that no longer appears to be the case. Gurman's report says, "I have little to no expectation that the product will arrive this year. Instead, I'd expect it in 2026 -- around the same time the new Siri finally launches." Apple delayed its Siri upgrade back in March, and at the time Gurman reported that the upcoming smart home hub was reliant on many of those new features to work properly. It may be if Apple launched the smart home hub without an AI infused Siri, the functionality of the product may have fallen flat. Apple's AI-powered Siri was originally planned for iOS 18.4. In June, Apple confirmed it wouldn't be launching its new Siri features until some point in 2026. Gurman now adds some further context saying, "Those capabilities (now delayed) would let the voice assistant tap into personal data to fulfill queries and take advantage of the information on a user's screen." His sources also say there's an additional reason for the delay, but it remains tied to Siri. The report says Apple is also planning a refresh of its App Intents framework. This is a developer feature to help services integrate with system experiences, so it's how apps connect to features like Siri, Focus, or Spotlight. Gurman says this upgrade would "allow Siri to more precisely control applications and functions." Elsewhere in the newsletter, Gurman predicts we may see the new iPhone 17 series on Sept. 9. The company is likely to host its next launch event on the week of Sept. 8 and the brand is prone to using Tuesdays to launch its new iPhones, meaning Sept. 8 is looking most likely.

Apple Smart Home Hub -- we just got bad news about the release window

We've been hearing a bunch of rumors about Apple's smart home hub, which was expected to arrive at some point later this year. But sadly, we already heard that this may not be on the cards anymore, and it all comes down to Apple's ongoing problems with Siri. This news comes from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, and the latest issue of the Power On newsletter. According to Gurman the hub was dependent on Siri features that were originally scheduled to be released as part of iOS 18.4. This would have let Apple's voice assistant utilize personal data, and recognize what was going on with a user's screen. The hub also reportedly replied on the new App Intents feature, which gave Siri better control over apps and functions. This in turn allows the hub to be controlled via voice commands, and without it the hub isn't going to work as well as people would expect. Right now, we don't know what's happening with Siri's upgrades, and based on what Apple said at WWDC 2025 it doesn't sound like those changes will be happening this year. Without them, the Apple Smart Hub isn't going to be close to what Apple reportedly envisioned. That's not to say Apple couldn't release some kind of smart home hub in the meantime. As we've seen with the likes of Alexa and Google, you don't need an AI chatbot to make a voice-controlled smart screen. But since this is now 2025, and AI is all over the place, Apple would be at a disadvantage. Specs we've heard so far suggest this hub will have a 7-inch display with a camera at the top -- suitable for FaceTime and other video call apps. The software is said to be the new "homeOS", with an interface inspired by StandBy mode on the iPhone. There's also expected to be a built-in battery, smart home controls, Apple Intelligence support and access to other Apple apps. Gurman believes that the hub won't be arriving until next year, possibly around the time the new Siri actually launches. Which would make total sense. If Apple has delayed the smart hub because of issues with upgrading Siri, then it's logical to release that screen as soon as it's actually feasible.

Apple Smart Home Hub Launch Delayed to 2026: Gurman

Apple Smart Home Hub launch has been delayed to 2026, according to a report. It could be unveiled around the same time as the launch of the new Siri. Originally scheduled to launch in March 2025, the Cupertino company delayed the launch of its Smart Home Hub because of its reliance on Siri's capabilities that were initially planned for iOS 18.4. These capabilities would, as per the report, allow Apple's voice assistant to access personal data of users to respond to their queries. According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple Smart Home Hub could launch in 2026, about the same time the Cupertino unveils its new Siri. The launch of the smart home device, which has been allegedly codenamed J490, was reportedly initially scheduled for March 2025. However, the tech giant allegedly postponed it as the device relied heavily on the new Siri features. The new Siri capabilities, which have been delayed, would allow the voice assistant to access personal data of users to answer their queries, at the same time using the information presented on their screen, Gurman added. The Apple Smart Home Hub reportedly also relies on a new App Intents, which lets Siri to "more precisely" take control of the applications and functions. The smart home device is primarily meant to be operated through voice commands, a function that is enabled by App Intents. Additionally, Gurman had earlier claimed that the Apple Smart Home Hub would work like a wall-mounted AI tablet, allowing users to interact with it through a touch interface, allegedly to be named HomeOS. This interface is said to be a combination of Apple's operating system for its smartwatches, watchOS, and iPhone's Standby mode. As per an earlier report by Gurman, Apple is also working on another variant of the Smart Home Hub that could feature a robotic arm and a screen sized similar to an iPad. The rumoured smart home device, which is said to be an artificial intelligence (AI)-centric device, has been codenamed J595. The robotic arm, which could be attached at the back of the device, could have the ability to move around the platform that it has been placed on. Gurman expects that Apple is trying to incorporate a "unique AI personality" in the rumoured device. This particular smart home hub variant is also said to have been delayed.