Apple Is Building a Brand-New Operating System for Its Smart Home Hub

Summary

Apple is developing an all-new operating system purpose-built for its upcoming smart home hub, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The platform combines elements of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS into something designed specifically for a home display context. It will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps with customizable clock faces, and Siri AI sits at the center of the experience. The hub will support FaceTime calls, HomeKit accessory control, home security monitoring, photo galleries, a calendar, and music playback. Built-in facial recognition identifies who is looking at the display and shows them personalized information, and the interface automatically scales up when you approach and shrinks as you move away. The device pairs a HomePod-style speaker with a 7-inch display, and Apple has filed for a “homeOS” trademark through a shell company. Apple is targeting a release window between October 2026 and early 2027.

Why it matters

Apple has been absent from the smart home display market while Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show have owned the category for years. Building a purpose-built operating system rather than running a modified iPadOS on a screen signals that Apple is serious about this product. HomeKit users who have built out Apple smart home setups have waited a long time for a hub that actually belongs in that ecosystem, and the facial recognition multiuser support addresses one of the biggest gaps in what the Nest Hub and Echo Show have historically offered families.

HTD Says

Apple building homeOS from scratch for a home hub is a stronger signal than anything in the spec sheet, because it tells you they looked at what Google and Amazon built and decided the right move was to start fresh rather than repurpose something they already had. This is a very typical Apple move. Watch the industry, learn what works and what doesn’t, and then enter the space later than the competition with an offering that is equal to or better than (and occasionally worse than) the competition.

Just like Google and Amazon, Apple owns a full ecosystem. And they have a solid codebase with all of their device operating systems, so having a shared language for their homeOS makes a lot of sense. It’s a tricky time to launch new hardware due to component price pressures.

But I feel like Apple is a bit late to the game here. I’m an Apple-forward household; however, I do not have Apple speakers or similar devices. Instead, I have embraced Google Home, Samsung, and Amazon. I’m not really sure I can add more.

Source:

MacRumors