Apple’s ‘Charismatic’ HomeOS to Power Smart Hub in 2026 and Tabletop Robot in 2027

Apple is developing a new operating system for the home, internally known as homeOS, and it now has a codename: Charismatic. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the software will first appear on a dedicated smart home hub in 2026, followed by a more experimental tabletop robot planned for 2027.

HomeOS borrows from tvOS and watchOS

Whispers of a home-focused OS have circulated for years, but Apple’s plans are becoming clearer. Charismatic is said to borrow heavily from tvOS and watchOS, combining elements of both into a new interface. Instead of iOS-style icons, the system will reportedly center on clock faces, widgets, and a hexagonal grid of apps similar to the Apple Watch.

Multi-user support is built into the platform from the beginning. Apple is planning to include a front-facing camera that recognizes each person as they approach, instantly adjusting layouts, preferences, and apps. Siri is expected to be the main way people interact with the device, though touch controls will remain available. At launch, the hub is rumored to ship with core apps including Calendar, Camera, Music, Reminders, and Notes.

The Roadmap: First a hub, then a robot

Apple’s rollout appears to have two stages. The first product is a smart home hub scheduled for 2026, designed as a stationary device for music playback, note-taking, browsing, and video calls. A year later, Apple is expected to debut something more ambitious: a tabletop robot.

That second device is described as a 7-inch display mounted on a motorized base that can swivel and shift about six inches in any direction, following the user’s movements. Internally, Apple has tested versions with an upgraded Siri featuring a friendlier personality and even a visual avatar, ranging from an animated Finder face to a floating Memoji.

The company’s robotics experiments aren’t entirely new. In 2023, Apple’s Machine Learning Research group unveiled a robotic lamp capable of dancing to music, bowing when “rejected,” and even nudging a glass of water toward a person. It was presented as a research project, not a consumer product, but in hindsight it now looks like an early glimpse of where Apple wanted to go.

Siri remains the bottleneck

Reports suggest the hardware for the home hub has been ready for some time, with an initial launch expected in 2025. The delay to 2026 is said to be tied directly to Apple’s overhaul of Siri, which needs to be far more capable before taking center stage in a home product. Given Apple’s reliance on Siri and Apple Intelligence to power interactions, the postponement was almost inevitable.

Apple’s track record in the smart home has been inconsistent. HomeKit never matched its early promise, and the HomePod line has struggled to compete with Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Nest products. Charismatic could represent Apple’s clearest attempt yet to change that narrative, combining a watch-like UI, multi-user recognition, and tighter integration with its ecosystem.

Whether that will be enough to catch up with rivals depends on how far Siri’s long-delayed revamp actually goes.

Would a robotic hub that follows you around feel helpful or unsettling in your home? Share your take in the comments below.

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