Watch out, Echo Show: Apple smart home display expected early next year

Apple appears committed to the smart home market, with sources saying the company plans to launch a smart display next year and a security camera the year after.

We've heard rumors of an Apple smart home panel for years, but new reports now make a 2025 product launch sound more likely.  Sources told Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that Apple plans to announce the smart home hub as early as March 2025.

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The smart display could be a wall-mounted, 6-inch square screen with a front-facing camera, speakers, and a rechargeable battery, according to Gurman's sources. Codenamed J490, the display would function as a smart home panel, much like an Echo Show, letting users control smart home devices with touch or voice via Siri, use Apple Intelligence, play music, or make video calls via FaceTime. 

Integrated into the Apple ecosystem, such a device could function as a smart home hub for HomeKit. The J940 is said to run an entirely new operating system dubbed Pebble, which Gurman says looks like a blend of WatchOS and the iPhone's Standby Mode. It may also support Handoff, which lets users begin a task on an Apple device and finish it on another device associated with the same Apple ID. 

While there's no information on price yet, this smart display would be a direct competitor to the Amazon Echo Hub, Echo Show, Google Nest Hub, and Hub Max -- all priced between $150 and $230. Apple is said to be working on a higher-end version of its smart display that could retail for approximately $1,000.

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In a related smart home move, Apple reportedly is working on a new home security camera that will integrate with the Apple ecosystem and HomeKit platform. The company also is planning to add more health features to its AirPods, potentially turning them into health-tracking devices in addition to earbuds. 

Apple could enter the security camera market as early as 2026, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a finger on the pulse of Apple's supply chain line. Kuo says Apple is looking to Goertek to assemble the device, intending to produce tens of millions of security cameras. 

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Though little is known about the camera's design, Kuo claims Apple aims to sell more than 10 million units annually, roughly a quarter of the global smart home camera market. The camera is expected to work over IP, likely through Matter, and support Apple Intelligence and Siri. 

It's safe to assume that an Apple-made security camera will support HomeKit Secure Video (HSV), the company's platform for securely storing and managing video footage with end-to-end encryption. 

Apple hopes the new devices will help it catch up to Google and Amazon, its biggest competitors in various markets, from artificial intelligence to the smart home. Apple seems determined to extend its overwhelming success in the smartphone, tablet, and laptop markets into the smart home.   

Kuo says Goertek also secured production for the 2026 AirPods model, which will feature advanced health sensors. The new AirPods are said to boast health features similar to those on the Apple Watch, and Apple is targeting this upgrade to boost projected shipments to 68 million units in 2026, up from 48 million units in 2023. 

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This solidifies older rumors that Apple is adding new health sensors to the AirPods Pro 3, which is expected to launch in 2025. MacRumors had previously reported that the AirPods Pro 3 could measure body temperature from within the ear canal, though this upgrade could also be released in 2026 with a later Pro model.

Kuo had previously reported that future AirPods could feature infrared cameras to improve spatial audio experiences when used with the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset.