Apple HomePad explained: what we know before Apple's 13th October event
Apple has booked a Welcome home event for 13th Oct 26, and a screen for your kitchen bench is the talk of it. Here is what is reported so far, and what is not.
The Apple HomePad is the smart home display Apple is widely reported to be about to reveal, and it could change what sits on your kitchen bench. Apple has sent invitations to a "Welcome home" event on 13th Oct 26, starting at 9am US Eastern time, which lands just after midnight on 14th Oct 26 on Australia's east coast. The invitation does not name any products.
What Apple has confirmed, and what it has not
Confirmed: the event, its "Welcome home" theme and its date. Not confirmed: the name HomePad, the hardware, the software, the price and any Australian release. A Bloomberg report published on 30th Sep 26 pointed to 13th Oct 26 as the reveal, with an updated HomePod mini and a new Apple TV 4K said to be arriving alongside it.
What the HomePad is reported to be
- Display: a roughly 6-inch square screen.
- Two versions: a countertop model with the screen on a round, speaker-filled base, and a wall-mounted model with a flatter base.
- Power: USB-C, with no battery, so it stays plugged in.
- Software: an iPad-style interface with widgets, clocks, photo slideshows and a two-panel layout in apps such as Messages.
- Calls: video calls through a front camera, plus intercom between devices around the house.
- Recognition: face and voice recognition so the screen can show each person their own content, with a guest mode that hides private details.
- Siri: the new Siri AI is reported to be the reason the launch waited, with answers that can show visuals on screen.
What it would replace in a home
If the reports hold, the HomePad is aimed at the spots where a phone or a tablet currently gets propped up: the kitchen bench for recipes and timers, the hallway for a family calendar, the lounge room for music and photos. A wall-mounted version could take over from a dedicated home-control panel. The camera and intercom make it a room-to-room communication tool too, which is a job the current HomePod mini only does by voice.
Apple already handles several voices on the HomePod mini, so personalised screens are a natural next step. Reports say the face recognition would be less precise than Face ID, which is why a visitor mode matters.
How it would stack up against Google and Amazon
The two rivals most Australians will compare it with are the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen), a 7-inch display listed on the Google Store at A$149, and the Amazon Echo Show 8, whose latest generation has an 8.7-inch screen and is sold through Amazon Australia. On size, the reported 6-inch HomePad would be the smallest of the three. Its pitch is not screen area but the way it ties into iPhone, FaceTime, Photos, Music and Apple Home, and the new Siri AI. Amazon and Google lean on their own assistants and large smart home ecosystems, so the real test will be how well Apple handles devices from other brands.
What nobody knows yet
Price and Australian availability have not been reported with any reliability, so neither is stated here. The same goes for the final name, the processor, the camera quality and whether the wall-mounted version ships on day one. The event is the first point at which any of it can be confirmed, and this article will make more sense once Apple has spoken.
At a glance
- Apple HomePad (reported): about 6-inch square display, countertop and wall-mount versions, USB-C power, video calls, intercom, face and voice recognition, Siri AI. Price and Australian release unknown.
- Google Nest Hub (2nd gen): 7-inch touchscreen, A$149 on the Google Store.
- Amazon Echo Show 8: 8.7-inch display in the latest generation, sold through Amazon Australia.
- Event: Apple's "Welcome home" event, 13th Oct 26 (US time).
Verdict: the HomePad looks like Apple's most serious attempt at the kitchen-bench screen, but until it is announced it is a reported product with no price and no Australian date.
