What is Apple's next big product: Here's everything you need to know

Apple is preparing to launch its first smart home product, a device code-named J490, also known as the HomePad, on October 13. The news comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and marks Apple's entry into the smart home category. The HomePad, along with a refreshed HomePod mini and a new Apple TV 4K, will showcase Siri AI, Apple's overhauled assistant released with iOS 27. This launch is one of the first major products under John Ternus, who became CEO in September.

Apple Stores reportedly received boxes labeled "Do Not Open Until October 8," suggesting the launch may be a sales event rather than just an announcement. Apple has not confirmed this, and pricing, including for India, is still unknown. The HomePad features a roughly 6-inch square screen with rounded corners and black bezels, similar to older iPads. It is held up by a polished metal arm on a round aluminum base with speaker holes.

There's no battery; the device stays plugged in via USB-C. The single front-facing camera handles FaceTime calls and recognition. The device comes in Apple's standard grey aluminum finish with a rubberized bottom. For wall mounting, Apple has developed a thin square base. A larger model with a robotic arm for the display is also in development.

Personalization is a key feature of the HomePad. It uses its camera and microphones to identify family members, adapting to them by pulling up their messages, calendar, notes, and preferred widgets. When someone else walks up, the screen switches to serve the new person, and a visitor mode hides personal data. The face recognition is less secure than Face ID, requiring confirmation on the user's iPhone for sensitive information.

Apple expects households to purchase more than one of these hubs. They can control lights and thermostats, act as intercoms between rooms, play music and podcasts, and cycle through iCloud photos. Employees at Apple are already testing them extensively at home. The hub runs a new operating system built around Siri AI, mixing iPad-style two-panel apps with Apple Watch-like icon grids.

It features built-in apps like Messages, Calendar, Photos, FaceTime, Notes, Reminders, Music, and Podcasts, which can be rearranged with a long press.

The device is Apple's most direct response to Amazon's Echo Show and Google's Nest Hub. It's unclear whether October 13 will be an announcement or sales date. Boxes arriving at Apple Stores are marked "Do Not Open Until October 8," hinting at a new in-store display. Apple has not commented on this detail. The pricing, including for India, remains unknown.