Are you excited about the potential of an Apple HomePod with a display? Smart speakers have come a long way, but even the best ones still have their limitations. Voice assistants are helpful, but sometimes a screen just makes things easier – whether it’s checking the weather, following a recipe, or managing your smart home with a quick tap.
That’s why tech brands started to add displays to their smart speakers, transforming them into versatile hubs for both voice and touch control. Amazon’s Echo Show lineup leads the pack but there’s also been various attempts by Google and other brands.
While it looked like Apple was finally ready to join the party in 2025, the project was delayed. As we now know, this was because a more conversational Siri was delayed from 2024 and has only just launched in late 2026 as part of iOS 27 and Apple’s other operating systems such as macOS 27 Golden Gate.
Rumours have been swirling for years about a HomePod with a built-in display, hinting at a device that could take Siri and the Apple Home ecosystem to the next level. The first version of this article was written back in early 2024 and after the project was delayed, I actually though the smart display had been cancelled entirely. But it turns out I was wrong.
Now we know this device – called Apple HomeView per trademark info – will be annnounced on October 13 2026 – here’s what to expect from the launch as it won’t be alone. it will also be joined by an updated HomePod Mini and revised Apple TV 4K which may be called the Apple TV Pro. It will also be joined by some LG-branded smart devices like a doorbell and camera which Apple will seemingly endorse and possibly sell but it won’t make. These will reportedly be under the umbrella name of the ‘Apple Home Collection’ and will include other brands.
Apple HomePod with display quick list
- Expected release date: November 2026
- Expected price: Between $199/£199 and $399/£399 – my money is on $299/£299
- Expected features: 6in display, powerful speaker, Siri AI, homeOS, Apple Home control hub, FaceTime capable camera
Apple HomeView release date and price
We now know that HomeView will be launched on Tuesday October 13 2026 at a behind closed doors event for the media in Tribeca, New York. That’s 6am PDT, 9am EDT, 2pm BST, 6:30pm IST, 9pm SGT and CST, 10pm JST and KST and midnight on Wednesday October 14 AEDT.
Top Apple analyst Mark Gurman noted in his newsletter for Bloomberg that 2025 would be the earliest date to see a new HomePod with a display. This is factually correct, even if the year turned out to be wrong. The same analyst has broken a lot of recent news about the smart display, notably that it will be called HomeView. I wondered for a while if it might be called the HomePad, which is a name that has been around for some time.
As for how much HomeView might cost, don’t expect it to come cheap. The HomePod 2 retails for $299/£299, while the smaller Mini goes for $99/£99. I’d expect the display version to land at $299/£299 but don’t be surprised if it is more, up to $399/£399. Availability isn’t expected to be straight away – the device may land in stores later in November.
Expected features of Apple’s new smart display
Things are a little unclear on what exactly this new HomePod with a display will look like. We’ve heard different things from a bunch of different analysts. The one thing everything can agree on is that it will have a display -probably 6in in size – and the latest rumors suggest that it could be square. The primary function would be to control smart home devices in your house; anything that uses HomeKit as the protocol, so basically anything compatible with the Apple Home smart home ecosystem. It’s expected the hub could double as a home security system by displaying camera footage as well, so it’ll act as a Home Hub.
In March 2023, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the it would likely be an iPad with better speakers – something like the Pixel Tablet with its hub. It would have a 7-inch display and a dock that contained speakers. This seems to have been. discounted now, although it is possible there will be a wall-mounted version of the HomeView.
It now definitely appears we’ll get something more akin to the Echo Show line-up – a display that’s permanently attached to a. HomeView will apparently offer better sound quality than the HomePod mini but given that it should be bigger, that isn’t much of a surprise.
In addition to smart home control, it will possibly let you watch media but more importantly make FaceTime calls. So it will have a camera on board alongside the speaker. This camera setup may have Face ID but it has been suggested that it will just be a more standard webcam that is capable of recognising different family members.
It will also reportedly run on an Apple A18 chip which has been used in the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16e and MacBook Neo.
Rumors from 2024 agreed with this. Apple watcher Mark Gurman was spot on, saying the smart home display will feature a square screen that’s based on a small circular metal base. This would house the speakers too, Apparently, we can expect it to look something like the old iMac G4. Grey, silver, starlight and pink/rose are the suggested colors.
There are some suggestions there could be two versions of HomeView – one with the aforementioned metal base designed for a countertop and one with a flat plate that can be mounted on a wall – these could also be the same device, just used differently – we’ll see on that one.
Previous rumors suggested that the display could snap to a wall-mounted base using a MagSafe-style technology.
At one point it seemed like there may be a smaller version: a HomePod Mini with a display on top instead of controls. Twitter leaker Kosutami posted that there was a prototype HomePod with the glass on top acting as the touchscreen. They shared photos, which 9to5Mac verified were real. So we know for certain that Apple is at least considering this option.
What software will it run?
For over two years, versions of Apple’s iOS software for the iPhone have referenced ‘homeOS’. Now, of course, there is no such thing as ‘homeOS’ currently, so this suggests a new version of software for Apple’s home devices. Naturally HomeView will not only support Wi-Fi, but also the open smart home protocols that Apple is a member of – Matter and Thread. Siri will be the primary mode of interaction, thanks to its newly-updated and AI-infused capabilities.
One interesting rumor is that HomeView won’t have an App Store, so it is probably set to be a much simpler implementation of a tablet-type OS than iPadOS, for example. So expect a bunch of recognisable Apple apps instead, like Messages, FaceTime, Photos and Home. Don’t expect to be able to play games on it. It feels a little odd that you couldn’t add – for example – apps from smart home brands like Philips Hue or Nanoleaf. But then Apple probably and reasonably thinks you can just use the Home app. Surely it won’t be capable of showing Apple TV shows – will it?
The fact that homeOS has been around for a while means Apple has been working on this project for several years – and we don’t have long to wait to see the results.
