Apple's HomePad smart display is reportedly arriving October 13
If you've been waiting for Apple to build its own smart display, the wait may end on October 13. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple will unveil the HomePad that day, alongside a new HomePod mini and an updated Apple TV. All three will run the rebuilt Siri AI. Apple hasn't confirmed any of it, and there is no word yet on US or UK pricing.
The hardware
The HomePad has a 6-inch screen, roughly as thick as an iPhone, with chunky bezels like older iPads. The design borrows from the iMac G4: a round metal base holding the speakers and microphones, with an arm that tilts the display.
A second version is meant for wall mounting, with a slimmer speaker base. Both come in grey aluminium.
There is no battery. The HomePad runs from a USB-C power adapter, so it stays plugged in like an Amazon Echo Show or Google Nest Hub. Earlier rumours had hinted at a portable design.
Software looks like a cut-down iPad. Apps such as Messages get a two-panel layout. The device handles smart-home controls, video calls, music, a photo frame and an intercom. It recognises faces and voices, and Gurman has said it could enlarge icons automatically for someone with poor eyesight.
The price question
The figure floating around is about $350, but that traces back to earlier reporting, not anything Apple has said. Sites such as Headphonesty have noted it would make the HomePad expensive for its size.
Apple also has a history here. The original HomePod launched in 2018 at $349, dropped to $299 within about 14 months, and was discontinued in 2021. Echo Show and Nest Hub models cost far less, and both already work with many more third-party gadgets.
The HomePad was first planned for 2024. Gurman says the wait came down to Siri AI, not hardware. It is a familiar pattern: Apple has also pushed back Apple's custom foldable Pencil is dead — iPhone Duo buyers wait months for stylus support until late 2026. Its next big category after this, a Vision Pro successor, isn't expected before 2029.
What to watch
Announcement day should settle three things: the real price, the ship date in the US and UK, and whether Siri AI feels quick enough to justify a screen-equipped speaker. Anyone with a HomePod mini or Apple TV should wait for those details before buying.
