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Apple is working on a new device for the connected home: the Apple Smart Home Hub. The device is intended to serve as a central control unit for smart home products and also offer features such as communication, app display, and intelligent assistance.
The planned launch is being delayed, as expected. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple will now release the Smart Home Hub in September because the new version of Siri is not yet fully developed. Since the Hub relies heavily on artificial intelligence and the revamped Siri, Apple cannot launch the device without these features.
The Apple Smart Home Hub is part of a larger development within the Apple ecosystem. The company is significantly expanding its AI capabilities under the name Apple Intelligence. A key element of this is a new version of Siri, which is designed to be more intelligent and more personalized.
This new Siri version is crucial for many functions of the Smart Home Hub. However, this is precisely where the current problems lie. Development is taking longer than expected, which is why Apple has had to adjust the device's timeline several times.
Apple postpones the launch of the Smart Home Hub
Apple originally planned to launch the Smart Home Hub in spring 2025. At the time, the company assumed that the new Siri version would be ready in time.
When it became clear that the development of Apple Intelligence was delayed, Apple postponed the planned launch to spring 2026. The release was to coincide with a new version of Siri, which was to be released with iOS 26.4.
However, it is now clear that this deadline cannot be met either. The new Siri is not included in the current beta version of iOS 26.4 because development is not yet complete. Therefore, Apple has now postponed the launch of the Smart Home Hub to September 2026.
Problems with the new Siri
The main reason for the delay lies in the development of the new Siri version. Apple is working on a significantly more powerful version of the voice assistant, which relies more heavily on artificial intelligence.
The new Siri was first unveiled in June 2024. Originally, the new features were intended to be released with iOS 18.4. Planned features include enhanced personalization, screen awareness capabilities, and more options for Siri to perform actions within and between apps.
Siri is also supposed to summarize information from web search results and generate images using the Image Playground feature. In practice, however, Apple is still struggling with issues regarding the system's accuracy and reliability. Some functions are not yet stable enough for release.
Related to iOS 27
The new September launch date for Apple's Smart Home Hub suggests that many of the new Siri features may not appear until iOS 27, which is also expected in September.
Apple has publicly announced that the new Siri version will be released in 2026. As long as the features appear before the end of December, Apple is adhering to the timeline the company previously communicated.
This is known via the Apple Smart Home Hub
Although the market launch has been delayed, the device itself is considered largely finished. The Apple Smart Home Hub has a 7-inch display and is designed to resemble a small iPad. The device can either be wall-mounted or used with a speaker base.
The hub also features a camera with facial recognition. This allows the device to detect when people are in the room or when someone approaches the display. It then displays content tailored to that specific person in the household.
Apple plans to use the Smart Home Hub as a central control unit for smart home devices. At the same time, the device is intended to enable functions such as making phone calls and displaying apps like calendars or reminders.
Software and operation
The Apple Smart Home Hub will not have its own App Store. Instead, Apple is relying on integrated applications from its own ecosystem.
The device runs on a version of tvOS 27. The user interface is said to use round app icons, arranged similarly to the apps on the Apple Watch.
New Siri delays launch of Apple Smart Home Hub
The Apple Smart Home Hub is a key component of Apple's smart home strategy. Although the device appears to be technically complete, its release is being delayed due to the new Siri version.
The currently planned launch date is September 2026. Apple could then introduce the Smart Home Hub alongside iOS 27 and a comprehensively redesigned Siri. The new version of the voice assistant is expected to rely more heavily on artificial intelligence and behave more like a chatbot, similar to ChatGPT. (Image: Shutterstock / RSplaneta)
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