Apple’s Home Hub Is Ready, But Siri’s Holding It Hostage

Apple had big plans for 2025. One of them was launching an all-new smart home device—a HomePod-like hub with a screen, meant to be the central controller for your smart home. Think of it as a mix of iPad and smart speaker, powered by Siri and Apple Intelligence. But now, that plan is officially on pause.

According to multiple reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the product has been delayed to 2026. And the reason is simple: Siri’s not ready.

What Is Apple’s New Home Hub?

Apple’s smart home hub, internally code-named J490, was expected to feature:

• A 7-inch square display with thick bezels
• A top-mounted camera for FaceTime
• A rechargeable built-in battery
• A speaker base or wall-mounting support
• A new operating system, “homeOS”
• A dashboard inspired by iPhone StandBy mode
• Controls for smart home devices
• A18 chip for Apple Intelligence
• Full support for Apple apps and video calls

It was designed to be more than a smart display. It was meant to be a FaceTime device, a smart home controller, and even part of a security setup with a possible Apple-made camera accessory.

Why the Delay?

Everything about this product hinged on Siri. Not the Siri we know today, but the all-new Apple Intelligence-powered version that Apple teased last year. 

The hub was originally meant to launch with iOS 18.4 in March 2025, around the same time Siri’s big AI overhaul was scheduled to roll out. Then came bugs, quality issues, and missed deadlines. The Siri update slipped to iOS 18.5 in May, and finally, it was delayed indefinitely to next year. 

With Siri out of the picture, so was the Home Hub.

Gurman says the device depends heavily on a new version of App Intents—the tech that would allow Siri to actually understand and control apps properly. Without this foundation, the hub’s main feature—voice-first smart control—just wouldn’t work.

Related: Apple May Turn to ChatGPT and Claude to Reinvent Siri

What Happens Now?

As of now, Apple reportedly has no plans to launch the Home Hub in 2025. Instead, Gurman expects it in 2026, around the time Siri’s upgraded version finally rolls out to the public.

Meanwhile, the device is still in development and reportedly being tested by Apple employees. Some code found in iOS 18.6 developer beta even hints at a 2,176-pixel-wide display, roughly the size of an iPad mini.

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had earlier claimed mass production would begin in late 2025. But even that now looks uncertain, unless the Siri delay is resolved quickly.

Bottom Line

The Home Hub is ready. The hardware exists. But the brains behind it—Siri and App Intents—aren’t ready yet. Apple doesn’t want to ship a half-baked voice-first product, especially one that’s supposed to be the heart of your smart home.

So, if you were waiting to grab one this year or even next, you might want to hold off. 2026 is the new target—assuming Siri shows up on time.