Apple’s ‘Charismatic’ Smart Hub Delayed — But Packed With New Features

Apple’s smart home hub gets a new release timeline, but still no specific date. The new smart home device is now coming in 2026, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. It was originally expected to debut in 2025, but it has been pushed further owing to delays with Apple’s Intelligence version of Siri. Apple’s Smart Home hub will feature a large 7-inch display and a speaker, similar to the Google Nest Hub.

Apple Home Hub release date shifted to 2026

The Apple smart home hub and the operating system have the codenames J490 and “Charismatic.” A report from last year said that the OS could be named ‘homeOS’. It will be different from macOS, iOS, and tvOS. The OS will be open to other members of the household. In context, the front-facing camera will scan the user’s face as they approach and provide content and features specific to that user.

The interface will offer clock faces and widgets for Apple apps. It could have a Siri virtual interface, giving it a more personified look. Apple is testing Siri’s look that resembles the Mac Finder icon. While there won’t be a dedicated App Store, the smart home hub will run Apple apps like Calendar, Camera, Music, Notes, and Reminders.

Gurman describes the 7-inch display as “shaped like a square.” It could feature thin black or white bezels, rounded corners, and a half-dome-shaped base. Users may get the ability to control it through voice-based commands. This is despite the smart home hub having a touch screen.

Siri will be the center of the hub

Apple is reportedly working on a version of Siri with large language models (LLMs) smarts. The Cupertino giant wants Siri to be able to “incorporate personal data to provide a richer experience for users.” This was planned with iOS 18, but is now coming as an LLM version of Siri. This could debut as early as “next spring.” The redesigned version of Siri for iPhones and iPads could come in 2026.

An LLM version of Siri based on internal models is in testing. Alternatively, Apple is also working on a version with outside technology like OpenAI and Anthropic. However, the company hasn’t decided on which version to use.

The “Charismatic” OS and the new Siri version will power the separate tabletop robot that will reportedly launch in 2027.