In 2024, Apple’s most significant release was definitely the Apple Vision Pro. Even though the company’s spatial computer was disappointing due to its lack of features and developer support, it’s undeniable that seeing the company enter a new market for the first time in a decade was exciting.
You might think that the most important release of 2025 is the iPhone 17 Air. After all, Samsung has already teased its ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge, and we still don’t know when it will launch. Still, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter, Apple’s “most significant release of the year” will be the HomePod hub with a 7-inch screen, which some news outlets call the “HomePad” since it’s like a HomePod with a built-in iPad.
The journalist says this device remains on track to launch in 2025 and will represent Apple’s “first step toward a bigger role in the smart home.” Gurman believes the HomePad will be a “smaller and cheaper iPad” that will let users “control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats, and handle other tasks.”
Over the past years, we’ve heard a few rumors about this HomePod with a screen, which could be the long-rumored HomePod 3 or the Amazon Echo Show-like Apple competitor. As the release date approaches, it seems the HomePod 3 is this new product (even though Apple might be working on a third-generation smart speaker we all know and love).
Gurman previously reported that Apple is working on this tabletop base with a speaker, which will run Apple’s new homeOS system. We have covered rumors about homeOS for a few years now, including the company’s offering roles on this operating system and references on tvOS beta.
Last month, top insider Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple supply chain was readying a 6-to-7-inch display for this HomePod. It features the A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence is a key part of this device. It’s expected to enter mass production in the second half of the year.
Lastly, Apple is readying a tabletop device with a robotic arm that might launch in 2026 and have a price tag of around $999.
BGR will keep reporting on these possible new smart home products as we learn more about them.
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