Apple lanzará este mes un hub con pantalla para controlar el hogar inteligente

Apple will launch a home smart hub with a screen this month, according to Bloomberg, which will be controlled by Apple's AI assistant, Siri. John Ternus' era has begun at Apple with new devices, following the September releases of the iPhone 18 Pro and the first foldable phone, iPhone Duo. Rumors suggest the company may enter a new category of products on October 13.

According to Mark Gurman, a Bloomberg journalist who typically publishes filtered Apple information, the company will present a digital screen that allows control of the connected home. Its operation will work like a hub from which users can control heating, lights, appliances, or see who is at the door, all with intelligent handling thanks to Siri AI.

The hub will have a square screen about six inches wide, with versions that can be mounted on the wall or placed on a stand. The desktop version will rest on a round metal base attached to the screen by a metal arm and will only be offered in gray aluminum color. Its thickness will be similar to that of an iPhone and will not have volume or power buttons.

The operating system of this new device will be a combination that merges elements from the Apple Watch, Apple TV, and iPad, with iPad-style apps, home icons like those on the watch, and iPad-style widgets for time, wallet, or calendar events. The device could recognize each household member by voice or face, and Bloomberg notes that this facial recognition would not be as precise as iPhone's Face ID.

After identification, it would display the user's meetings, notes, preferences, and news. Apple hopes customers will install several units around the house to control thermostats, locks, and other connected devices, as well as for video calls, phone function, music, and as a frame for iCloud photos. It would also give access to applications like Calendar, Notes, and Reminders.

This device has been several years in development at Apple, but constant delays in Siri AI prevented the company from launching it until now, when the assistant already works in several regions and only for Macs due to European regulatory issues. According to Bloomberg, the device could cost around $350 and would compete directly with Amazon's Echo Show lineup, which starts at $219.99.