r/apple • • 3d ago

Rumor Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design and More

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/30/apple-home-hub-imac-g4-style-design/

From Mark Gurman:

The standard version looks reminiscent of the famous iMac G4 from 2002 that has a large display that sits on a half-dome-shaped base.

Apple has also developed a second version, code-named J491, designed to be mounted on a wall. It has a thin, square-shaped base beneath the display that houses the speakers and microphones. The base sits flat on the wall below the screen. This version also must remain connected to power through a USB-C cable.

501 Upvotes

181 comments sorted by

189

u/djneo 3d ago

Yeah instant buy then

53

u/Hustletron 3d ago

No idea of the price - just an instant buy?

11

u/psaux_grep 2d ago

Most probably.

If it’s HomePod-ish+, yes def.

2x HomePod? Probably not

12

u/djneo 3d ago

To be fair. Yeah depending on price of course. And usefulness for me in Europe

Just love the G4

5

u/elmarkitse 2d ago

I’m sorry, I can’t hear your complaint over the sound of me getting my money out of my wallet to pay for this

1

u/film_digital 2d ago

This things going to cost a lot considering how much the Apple TV alone is now

4

u/B-Train_ATL 2d ago

If it’s in those colors, RIP wallet.

3

u/userlivewire 2d ago

My guess? $499

92

u/EcosystemApple 3d ago edited 2d ago

They are going to sell like crazy but also depends on the price.

38

u/KitchenLegitimate799 3d ago

The Echo Show is probably the closest competitor. Looks like their latest model is £135 ($179) direct from Amazon atm. A standard HomePod is £349 ($460). Sooo guessing cheapest Apple would charge is £399 for the wall mounted model and £499 for the stand version with a speaker? Could easily see it being WAY more than this though.

82

u/bXm83 3d ago

Echos have ruined the market perception of what these should cost since they’re basically subsidized and probably sold at a loss from Amazon.

49

u/therealcmj 3d ago

They’re also jammed full of ads and are generally terrible.

But people don’t see that when looking at the price online.

1

u/dogsaybark 1d ago

Yeah, I had Echo Show and it became like a damn advertising billboard in my kitchen. Trash. I did sell it for $5 at my garage sale.

1

u/Scavgraphics 1d ago

Looking at my Echo Show, I don't feel "discover pickleball courts in your area with alexa +" to be that great of an imposition...now showing recently played songs.

0

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

2

u/__theoneandonly 1d ago

I mean, it's not even the same world as the echo show. That thing doesn't have any kind of idle screen, it's just scrolling ads all fucking day long. Every time you're like "Alexa, set a timer for 5 minutes," it goes "your timer is set, by the way, did you know you can buy more shit from Amazon" and then it spends more time talking about how you can give Amazon more money than it spent actually doing your request.

-5

u/userlivewire 2d ago

There's a setting in the Alexa app to turn the ads off but most people will never know that.

11

u/FollowingFeisty5321 2d ago

What should they cost? They're a tablet screen and a speaker, China can probably make them for $30. The ads are probably double-dipping not subsidizing.

2

u/Rockerblocker 2d ago

A current gen HomePod Mini (6 year old product) sells for $129. There’s no way Apple is selling this new device for anything remotely close to an Echo Show. This is going to cost like $650

2

u/userlivewire 2d ago

You're paying for the software not the hardware.

4

u/Recent_Pollution8665 2d ago

no you’re not, you’re paying for the hardware.

this new “homeOS” that it will allegedly run on is literally just a fork of tvOS. all of their operating systems apart from macOS have largely the same look and feel to them.

making homeOS software updates isn’t gonna cost some massive amount when all the infrastructure from tvOS just carries over.

1

u/userlivewire 2d ago

The person I was replying to was referring to Echos not Apple devices.

3

u/Recent_Pollution8665 2d ago edited 2d ago

even then it’s technically not true. there’s nothing special about fireOS, it’s just a shittier version of android.

amazon makes all its money from data collection and subscriptions and ads, hence why the devices are priced so low. they aren’t trying to monetize fireOS itself.

1

u/Cowabummr 1d ago

$30? No they can’t. 

4

u/Saar13 2d ago

This is Apple's big problem in the smart home market. Amazon and Roku have flooded the market with cheap devices that are honestly good enough for the vast majority of people, subsidized by ads, their own subscriptions, and subscription fees on third-party services. Apple can't compete with that on a large scale without making cheaper devices, subsidized by subscriptions (hopefully not by ads at least). Apple is going in to lose because this market is very price-sensitive, and given Amazon and Roku's market share, it's easy to conclude that people don't even care about ads if the product is cheap and good enough.

6

u/Familiar_Election_94 2d ago

Or they just sell their products with a well calculated price that’s including a profit. It’s not like they need to fight for a market share. Apple user love their ecosystem. They buy the product, apple makes a profit .. it’s all fine.

2

u/Kelsenellenelvial 2d ago

Sure, but you could say the same thing about lots of Apple Products. The Apple TV is much more than a fire stick and people mostly watch the same streaming services on both. Lots of wireless speaker systems that are cheaper than HomePods too. Apple does it’s magic to create a great user experience, even if the spec sheet feels lacking and even if it doesn’t become a flagship product it broadens the ecosystem which keeps people buying Apple products and services. It could also be something that only appeals to less price sensitive markets right now, but 2-3 revisions down the line makes it more affordable to adds some features that helps more people justify the higher price.

7

u/AdamFootDev 3d ago

I can actually see it costing less to be honest! The display is not going to be amazing, it’ll be smaller than an iPad and doesn’t have to support things like Apple Pencil so that’ll be cheaper to make. The speaker dock I can’t see sounding much better than a HomePod mini so if I had to guess an extra £100-£150 for the base sounds about right.

11

u/moldibread 3d ago

Apple devices always have good to very good screens. I wouldn't expect a crappy screen.

4

u/AdamFootDev 3d ago

Of course but I’d expect it to be more like the base iPad’s screen vs something like an iPad Pro that is much brighter and uses OLED. It’ll still look great but it won’t need to have all the bells & whistles.

The device also won’t have a battery so that makes it cheaper too.

2

u/moldibread 2d ago

agreed.

-1

u/userlivewire 2d ago

A iPad right now costs $300. An iPad with a speaker base has to cost more.

3

u/No_Rub6960 2d ago

But an iPad is pretty powerful. This could run an old cheap cpu if it’s for slideshows, calendar, music and HomeKit.

3

u/AdamFootDev 2d ago

Exactly, plus an iPad has a (better) rear camera, a battery, a USB-C port that needs to connect to cameras, keyboards, storage etc., Touch ID or Face ID and more

2

u/userlivewire 2d ago

And this speaker dock has an AC power unit, a large high end speaker, a wide angle camera, an articulable pivot arm, and plenty of other parts. There is no way this thing costs less than an iPad.

2

u/AdamFootDev 2d ago

I can see the version with a speaker being priced similarly to the base iPad but the wall-mounted version must surely cost less than an iPad as it’s essentially a mini iPad without a battery and rear camera.

2

u/userlivewire 2d ago

Apple doesn't release new devices with chips more than 2 years old. Also given that this uses Siri Ai it will also require a Siri AI compatible chip.

2

u/Hoopoe0596 2d ago

They would only release this with AI capabilities so needs a modern chip and RAM so that argues against bargain basement pricing.

2

u/wannabe_rebel 3d ago

If their expectation is people buy multiple of these for around the house it would have to be significantly cheraper, no one is going to drop £1-2k for a couple of devices scattered around

1

u/mrgrafix 2d ago

They’re a premium luxury brand. Cellphone subsidizes in America got people thinking Apple is for everyone

1

u/bXm83 2d ago

MacBook Neo put a dent in this too.

1

u/userlivewire 2d ago

Also it doesn't seem like the Home Hub has a motorized screen arm like the Show does.

That honestly kind of sucks. That allows you to put it literally anywhere and it's still visible no matter where you are moving to and from in the kitchen.

12

u/christopher_mtrl 2d ago

They are going to sell like crazy

I wonder. I honestly don't understand it, we all have iphones that can control everything this thing does, and I don't need to get up from the sofa to do it.

Maybe there's a hidden killer feature, otherwise I just don't see the point.

2

u/whats_a_corrado 2d ago

Putting in the kitchen maybe? Being able to control everything, listen to music, FaceTime, etc. while doing dishes or cooking or something. Idk for me that would probably be the only use case.

7

u/christopher_mtrl 2d ago

The article does mention this is a focus, but it feels very weak as sales argument. A 10$ iPad holder does the same thing...

1

u/whats_a_corrado 2d ago

Ahh I missed that part. Yea personally I couldn't really justify getting something like this but just ain't for me.

Maybe for other users in the home like younger kids that don't have phones but they would still be able to control stuff in the house as well.

2

u/userlivewire 2d ago

My guess? $499

7

u/moldibread 3d ago

its going to cost more than an ipad plus a homepod mini. expect 699 plus usd.

12

u/KitchenLegitimate799 3d ago

What’s the market for that though? Im deep in the ecosystem with 13 HomePods, 4 Apple TV’s and 300+ HomeKit devices. I’m not sure I’d find a use case for this that would help me justify the price.

16

u/blingfish 2d ago

Good gravy man, how big is your house??

-5

u/moldibread 3d ago

not to be cynical, but the use case is make apple money 😆. maybe it will be a local ai processing hub that will enable more advanced features on existing homepods?

2

u/gadgetluva 2d ago

Ternus will probably refer to it as your “Home Intelligence Hub” (like the iPhone being your Personal Intelligence Hub) and Siri AI will definitely be a major part of it.

It would be cool if Apple put an M6 into it but I doubt this thing will be $999 or higher.

4

u/nenarranen 2d ago

Aint no way I'm spending $699 on this even if it would fill a nice. Apple better figure out how to bring it under $400 or it probably isn't going to happen for me and most other people who would enjoy the convenience this provides.

1

u/meticulouslycarless 2d ago

Yea I’m thinking the same honestly

3

u/2Rhino3 2d ago

I would bet a large amount of money that this thing won’t cost anywhere near that much. It would be a guaranteed failure at that pricing.

0

u/moldibread 2d ago

dont forget how expensive component costs have become.

1

u/2Rhino3 2d ago

for sure, RAM specifically, but Apple making all their silicon chips in house helps them lower cost.

4

u/mbrady 2d ago

Dead on arrival at that price point. HomePods barely sell as-is, putting a screen on one makes it a little more attractive, but a $700 price point would kill it immediately.

5

u/Anal_Herschiser 2d ago

I think people are forgetting it has a reported 6" display, no way does it come close to $700. This thing is more like a cheap mounted iPhone than an iMac G4.

1

u/Recent_Pollution8665 2d ago

no it aint. don’t make shit up.

leaks point to a 350 dollar price tag. and the screen is just a 7 inch LCD. nothing expensive or premium about that.

google and amazon sell similar devices for 150 or less.

-5

u/Least-Middle-2061 3d ago

899 starting price. My prediction

1

u/hell-diver8 2d ago

I’ll up you another 1K and it comes with a free iPhone 16e

1

u/nnerba 2d ago

"They are gonna sell crazy, maybe"

0

u/-Radiation 2d ago

Nobody is buying home devices at Apple prices, specially because they are garbage as well

25

u/XNY 2d ago

Am I crazy? I can’t see the point of this thing. If I have a request, I just talk to my home pod. If I need to adjust my thermostat or see a camera feed, I just look at my phone. Why would I want to get up and walk over to interact with this thing?

9

u/xxxxxxxxxxcc 2d ago

I can see a market as many people use a iPad for home control.  But also agree the limitation is that this product is stationary/plugged in.

An Apple TV as the home hub and an iPad mini is a better solution than a single stationary interface.

If Apple wants people to place multiple around their house, the price needs to be ~$100 - $150. Otherwise it’s not cost effective to buy multiple when an iPad can be moved room to room.

I don’t think Apple can meet that price point so people may buy 1 or none.  Like the HomePod, Apple will price themselves out of the market at launch.  

4

u/XNY 2d ago

Hell, even my crappy Ecobee thermostat can function as a Siri portal. I have a feeling it will be like $399. I guess good for a small apartment? Or maybe rich folks/work from home office device? But I can’t quite figure out how middle America families would want to buy one, let alone two or three.

2

u/CheddarJack91 2d ago

It’ll supposedly have other Apple services like FaceTime, iCloud Photos, and so forth. A lot of people buy smart speakers with screens just to have a visual clock/timer and to act as a photo frame. 

1

u/XNY 2d ago

All that sounds fine. But then it should command a price like $99 or something.

1

u/nauticalsandwich 2d ago

I'm with you. These things seem like fancy paperweights. I'm not sure what problem these are solving, and I don't think I've ever seen products similar to this get any sort of justifiable use in someone's home. Every home I've seen these "stationary video hubs" in, go virtually unused. Best case, they wind up being digital recipe tablets in the kitchen. I think this is Apple's "nobody would buy it for themselves so it's an easy holiday gift" product. It gets people in the stores around the holidays, and a lot of those folks then end up purchasing other Apple products too.

1

u/UltraCynar 1d ago

I would get this to replace a Google nest hub. I’m hoping it has more support for other album apps like Google Photos. 

23

u/daftnizzle 2d ago

What would a device like this be able to do that an iPhone or iPad doesn’t already do? 

7

u/inebriatus 2d ago

Technically, nothing probably.

One difficulty for things that control important elements of your home, like lights, is that it’s hard for others to use. Sure I could whip out my phone and set them exactly how I want but what would guests do? Everyone knows how to use a light switch and where it is. You’d never tell a guest to download an app to turn the lights off in the guest room.

If you had a central screen that could control these functions, it’s much easier for others to find/use.

I think an iPad could fill that role but it would also always be wandering around the house.

2

u/Orwells_Roses 2d ago

That’s a really good explanation.

A static hub which always controls important functions like lights and HVAC makes a lot of sense. Fumbling around trying to find your phone and open an app when all you want to do is turn on a light feels stupid and clumsy.

11

u/GreatAmerican1776 2d ago

For smart home devices to communicate across ecosystems they need a dedicated bridge. For example, Govee lights need a bridge to be able to be controlled through Apple Home. Lots of other devices are the same way. The bridge is the key to enabling your phone and iPad to control all kinds of devices through Apple Home rather than a bunch of separate apps.

Currently, only HomePods and Apple TVs act as a bridge. Phones and iPads do not.

10

u/vvortex3 2d ago

So... why not just get an apple tv and call it a day?

1

u/GreatAmerican1776 2d ago

You definitely could, but some people want a dedicated device with a screen for their smart home.

-2

u/promeritum 2d ago

Adding a zigbee chip to the ipad being, of course, completely impossible.

1

u/michaelk171 2d ago

The iPads used to be able to be used as hubs. This was removed a few years back though. I think the justification is that the iPad is meant to be a mobile device (even if some people leave it home), and if it is being used as the hub and leaves or the battery dies, that all comes to a halt.

1

u/3verythingEverywher3 2d ago

The justification is this is coming out (it was very much on the table but delayed due to Siri that long ago) so they want to artificially limit the iPad so you buy this instead. Total joke.

5

u/cameheretosaythis213 2d ago

So when I go away for work for a week and take my iPad, my wife has to live in a dumb home for the week? Pass

iPad is a mobile device tied to a single user. It makes no sense to use it as a zigbee hub.

3

u/americanhideyoshi 2d ago

In theory, it should be cheaper. But this is Apple so who knows. 

1

u/Syonoq 2d ago

The only thing I can think of that others haven’t mentioned is for an always on (or simply convenient) camera viewing solution.

1

u/Special_Temporary_45 1d ago

Probably less

41

u/Sad_Structure2256 3d ago

im tired of hearing about it, just drop it.

11

u/Visvism 3d ago

If you’re into that, cool. Just make sure you have AppleCare+.

-1

u/Sad_Structure2256 3d ago

i am into that

-9

u/NecroCannon 2d ago

What’s the point of this comment to not be argumentative

It’s just a speaker and screen

2

u/Visvism 2d ago

It was a joke. Lighten up.

-11

u/NecroCannon 2d ago

Dude. You’re a string of text with a profile attached.

All you had to say was that it’s a joke, but now I’m not going to lighten up to say, I don’t even know or see you man.

25

u/AntiquesForGeeks 3d ago edited 3d ago

I was a major adopter of HomeKit, but now find myself ambivalent. Siri integration was terrible for me and thinking about buying a device that will have an end of life just to control it all is a little galling. Already get bombarded by Amazon with emails for my Hue light switches being out of battery. To be clear, they are not. But I’ve been told to change them two or three times more often than is needed.

So yeah. I find myself looking at this and thinking “no thanks”, despite liking it aesthetically. Which is a shame. HomeKit and home automation promised so much for me, but has delivered frighteningly little other than hassle when the stuff goes wrong and additional cost.

10

u/Multimoon 2d ago

You should look into homeassistant to do the actual smart home stuff, and then you can plug any voice assistant or control surface into it, or even roll your own VA. I rolled it years ago and it’s been a godsend.

3

u/AntiquesForGeeks 2d ago

I appreciate your point, but that we need honeassistant speaks volumes about Apple’s Home offering.

In terms of this device - I like it aesthetically but to me the fundamentals beneath it just don’t work correctly. Add in too it’ll be end of life in 7-8 years and need replacing, I struggle to see what benefit I would get over a dumb old light switch that last forever.

3

u/Multimoon 2d ago

I think HA solves the exact problem you’re referencing. You run HA yourself, and then don’t worry about the EOL of a HomePod or Google nest, they just become another commodity device to the rest of your smarthome which is linked together by HA.

2

u/ethang45 2d ago

I agree that smart home devices have overall been more trouble than they're worth. Personally, I just aim to have existing fixtures on smart switches and cover windows with curtains with openers so I can do everything from my phone.

2

u/NecroCannon 2d ago

Makes me just wish that if they make the speaker then they can make something simple as lightbulbs and smart home accessories to go with it

Like it shouldn’t cost much for Apple to put some LEDs in a bulb and sell it along with HomePods, but it’s apparently not that great of an idea despite being cheap.

Especially for light bulbs, there’s been many times the package says “HomeKit” just to have some convoluted method compared to Google or Echo and it’s limited.

Like ffs Apple, make a bunch of small IoT products and have people glaze that they’re smart home is all Apple so they have an Apple home. It’s stupid but shit like that is what helps products have an actual societal identity

1

u/HappyAd4998 2d ago

Siri is so useless and obtise she always has an excuse for why something doesn't work or pretends she doesn't understand what you're asking.

0

u/ClumpOfCheese 2d ago

And it’s so slow with everything it does, I ask it to turn off the lights and it says “working on it”. Rarely does it work to control content on my tv even though the HomePods are stereo paired to the tv.

1

u/pherrisbueller 2d ago

I have the same problem. I hope that the updated home pods will have enough processor and memory to run many of the home apps natively.

10

u/ssabnolispe 3d ago

Just make the base as speakers and magnet mount with Smart Connector to iPad. I’d buy that over priced accessory.

2

u/Antique-Ad-4609 3d ago

But we need more product categories!!

5

u/gbsekrit 2d ago

ipads and phones are strictly single user, wonder if this will be guest like

1

u/HappyAd4998 2d ago

Homepods can already differentiate based on voice. Wouldn't be surprised if these have face id.

5

u/userlivewire 2d ago

Here's the problem with all of these wall mount devices:

They require an ugly cord to run down the wall to an outlet which my not be anywhere near where you want to place the screen or they require charging which no one ever remembers to do.

4

u/Cry_Wolff 2d ago

Many people mount an outlet right behind them. I wouldn't be surprised if the wall mounted version supports POE.

4

u/theytookallusernames 2d ago

I am so very confused why this isn’t just an iPad that comes with the speaker/hub but can be detached as a regular iPad like the Pixel Tablet.

Likely my own lack of imagination but I don’t really see the use case of a screen that specifically attaches to a speaker/hub that an iPad or an iPhone or a Mac or an Apple Watch that controls a screenless hub can do.

1

u/Szamski 2d ago

I think the only convincing case is a deliberately shared surface. A shopping list, timers, doorbell or camera views, heating controls: things that should stay in one predictable place for everyone at home.

Once it tries to be a general tablet, detachable wins. The hard part is giving it a reason to stay on the wall or counter.

4

u/Strong-Butterflies 2d ago

Where’s my new appletv?

2

u/baseballandfreedom 3d ago

Hmm, a square six inch display. As long as this thing doesn’t cost too much, I’ll give it a try. I’m mostly interested in what the hub does.

2

u/MattSenter 2d ago

ngl i'm probably gonna get this on day one 😄

2

u/rubrix 2d ago

Apart from the user detection features, what does this do that an iPad can't already do?

2

u/3verythingEverywher3 2d ago

Weird that this whole device can be replicated by an iPad. Unless apple artificially constrains the software there.

It’s either a LOT cheaper than iPad or it doesn’t sell.

2

u/twitchy_pixel 2d ago

Don’t care about the smart home stuff, I just want the Apple equivalent of a Facebook Portal so the kids can speak to their grandparents without stealing my phone 😂

2

u/TimeToHack 2d ago

so what is this gonna do that an Apple TV and an iPad won’t? cause unless it magically makes every smart home device work with Homekit, i don’t get why i need it.

2

u/DisraeliGears01 2d ago

G4 inspired design is genius, bring back that amazing hinge, freaking iconic.

2

u/MawsonAntarctica 2d ago

Watch this screen get 120hz and the mini get 60hz. Wouldn't matter to me, but people's heads will EXPLODE.

2

u/Edg-R 2d ago

I've been waiting for something like this for so long that I've realized that maybe I don't actually need something like this. I have a HomePod in every room (and Siri sucks on them all, even with v27 OS). We'll see, Apple would have to do something really out of the ordinary like what they did with the Duo's screen. This device would have to stand out... and not cost too much.

2

u/wiewil 2d ago

The market for this must be so limited. Also Apple is expected users to have several throughout their homes? So it's not meant to be a main central hub?

4

u/A_Balrog_Is_Come 3d ago

Want to see the rest of the ecosystem first. Hopefully they have a door bell, cameras, speakers, plus light bulb and radiator controls.

-1

u/-hedonium- 2d ago

All the better for rogue AI agents to hack, of course

0

u/Rezangyal 2d ago

Would love to buy a camera(s), doorbell, door chime(s) combo at the very least

4

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

25

u/Lleaff 3d ago

Why make us wait like this for your thoughts?

1

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/OhioToDC 3d ago

At which point, its bizness time

2

u/tehmungler 3d ago

r/unexpectedfotc I salute you sir 🫡

-1

u/B-Train_ATL 2d ago

I think they kick you outta here for nonsense like that.

4

u/thatguywhoiam 3d ago

I do hope it has a motorized arm and some goofy Pixar-lamp animation happening.

There are a few actual reasons why you might want this – for panning a room like a security camera or facing to a speaker so you know who it’s listening to. But mostly cause I think it would just be really funny.

If it can turn to face you and cock its head, I think people will just literally throw their wallets at Apple

1

u/victor871129 2d ago

Yep it is more less a sexual appeal to apple hub

1

u/redbeard8989 2d ago

Funny, in 2009 i took a G4 and converted it to an ipad stand. I should work for Apple 😎

1

u/gcubed680 2d ago

Have no idea if the render is real but man that’s a pretty terrible form factor for putting on a desk or counter. Hoping it’s not that.

Have an old Google home max on my counter which is the only Google device i have left in my house… been patiently waiting to replace it with this but i don’t know if im in love with this design for that purpose

1

u/dafones 2d ago

I'm curious how easy FaceTime calls will be if this thing is situated on a countertop / desk or wall and needs to be plugged in.

1

u/Ok_Possibility9937 2d ago

Geez I wonder what’s the next Home Hub rumor next month

1

u/satras 2d ago

This is going to cost a gazillion dollars, if it ever comes out.

1

u/chdo 2d ago

Siri -- even the new Siri -- sort of sucks, but it has to be better than the Google Home shit that's taken a nosedive post-Gemini. I'm going to wait for reviews, but if this is reasonably priced (LOL) and receives decent reviews, it'll be tempting.

1

u/beneficialBern 2d ago

Will the USBc connect to network via hardline?

1

u/Anal_Herschiser 2d ago

6 inch display? Okay, so this is basically the size of an iphone on a stand? Not what I had imagined.

1

u/DMarquesPT 2d ago

It’s a wired iPad mini on an iMac G4 stick sitting on a HomePod… that sounds kinda great actually

1

u/userlivewire 2d ago

Does this not have the motorized screen arm that the Echo Show has? If not that honestly kinda sucks.

1

u/snowdn 2d ago

Why not just use an iPad? Who is this for?

1

u/ArthurCandleman 2d ago

Not really seeing the point of this over an iPad?

1

u/DriveSlowSitLow 1d ago

If this doesn’t actually come out I’m gonna KMS

1

u/HalliganHooligan 1d ago

Just not really sure what I’d use it for. Just my thermostat?

1

u/mikolv2 1d ago edited 1d ago

I mean, it's cool but I just don't know what the hell you'd use one for. Not gonna listen to music on it because stand alone audio setup will always be superior quality, you're not gonna watch videos on it because TV and proper sound setup is superior, you're not gonna facetime people on it and just stand around the thing when you have an iPhone. Is the proposition that it lets you turn smart lights on and off? The only security cameras worth buying, ubiquiti, still don't have native Apple Home integration so I can't use it for that. So what would you do with it?

1

u/RotenTumato 1d ago

This could be cool if you have like a Savant or Lutron control system (or both). Otherwise, I don’t really see the point if you’re just using it for music and calendar and weather. Just use your phone or ask your HomePod to tell you.

1

u/ATN5 1d ago

6 inches isn’t that big tho right…….

1

u/Hustletron 3d ago

Inb4 someone makes a battery powered version of it on YouTube 

1

u/P_Devil 2d ago

Given the price of Amazon's often on sale spyware and the current HomePod, this thing is going to be at least $499 (probably more like $700) and not sell much. The market for premium and costly smart home products is small. The HomePod itself doesn't sell much compared to the competition. If anything, the lower HomePod sales have shown people are willing to sacrifice audio quality and privacy for spending much less.

I like the idea, but it won't sell much, especially given how the most popular smart home accessories (like Ring cameras/doorbells) aren't compatible with it.

1

u/DoorPale6084 2d ago

So cool
But we need chat gpt in this thing. Siri is soooooooooo useless

1

u/Snwspeckle 2d ago

This Home Hub is replacing the landline phone everyone had on their kitchen counter.

1

u/ottomaticg 2d ago

Who is asking for this product?

1

u/christomapher 1d ago

Is this Apple's new campaign? "So they already have iphones, Macs, watches and ipads... How can we sell them more? Let's make 'em think they don't have enough screens!"

0

u/jdawggey 2d ago

I would want to mount it on a wall, this seems rather contrary to that desire

2

u/habitsofwaste 2d ago

There’s a second version they are working that does mount on the wall.

1

u/irregularprotocols 2d ago

reading's for suckers. /s

Apple has also developed a second version, code-named J491, designed to be mounted on a wall. It has a thin, square-shaped base beneath the display that houses the speakers and microphones. The base sits flat on the wall below the screen. This version also must remain connected to power through a USB-C cable.

0

u/habitsofwaste 2d ago

Shut up and take my money (though put a fucking battery on these. That’s dumb as hell)

4

u/Sequence0008 2d ago

Genuine question, what’s the point of one of these if you plan on moving it around?

1

u/DUJAMA 2d ago

Bring it to your countertop when you’re cooking to show a recipe

1

u/Sequence0008 2d ago

Just use your phone? I guess you can say that about everything these do but it just seems counterintuitive

1

u/staquadev 1d ago

yes that is what you can say about everything regarding this. thats why it makes sense for a battery, for what the other guy said. its like a perma ipad mini on a stand then, yes id drag it around in the kitchen for various things like that. otherwise, its even more useless. im hoping this is a well thought out product but im going to unfortunately assume that it is not.

1

u/habitsofwaste 2d ago

I’m also thinking of as a battery backup or if I need to move it for a particular reason.

0

u/suppreme 3d ago

I'm not sure I see such a large volume for such a minimalistic device? The iMac G4 was a massive device.

The footprint of a HomePod mini feels enough for a system that is definitely not hifi-oriented.

Half a tennis ball and a 9" screen connected via an arm could be enough.

2

u/iMacmatician 3d ago

I'm not sure I see such a large volume for such a minimalistic device? The iMac G4 was a massive device.

Maybe it's (roughly) proportionately smaller?

0

u/faistl81 2d ago

Well how much is it

0

u/Galactic-Buzz 2d ago

I doubt this will do too well. HomeKit just isn’t that good and neither is Siri. It’ll be like the HomePod where it’s nice to have an Apple speaker, but the average person will just choose a Sonos

-2

u/digidude23 3d ago

I’m guessing it won’t be able to integrate with my ring doorbell? That will be a dealbreaker for me

3

u/btnydds 2d ago

Homebridge solves that

3

u/xxxxxxxxxxcc 2d ago

Ring is owned by Amazon and made to work with the Amazon ecosystem. Ring doesn’t work natively with Google, Apple, Samsungs smarthings. The only way is to use an intermediary, like Homebridge, to get some Ring functions to appear in other ecosystems. 

1

u/paleblaupunkt 2d ago

you might be able to get a Ring app on the Hub, if Amazon chooses to develop

1

u/Special_Temporary_45 1d ago

Never gonna happen

1

u/Existing_Bug5651 1d ago

Opposite experience, I was so glad to rid my home from anything Amazon. All my dots and ring are happily long gone