On the "VergeCast" podcast, hosts Jennifer Patterson-Tui and Andrew O'Hara, a writer and video producer for Apple Insider and host of the Smart Home Insider podcast, delved into the eagerly anticipated Apple Home hardware rumors ahead of an upcoming full hardware event. The discussion centered on whether Apple would finally make significant strides in its smart home ecosystem, particularly with a long-rumored smart display.
Before diving into the main topic, David Amell presented "90 Seconds on the Verge" for Thursday, September 3rd, 2026. Key tech news included OpenAI's release of GPT-6 Astra, touted as a generational leap in AI capabilities for enterprise customers; NVIDIA's $13 billion acquisition of AI repository Hugging Face, with assurances of maintaining its open platform; and Microsoft's decision to slash cloud gaming access on Game Pass Ultimate plans to 15 hours a month, while introducing a new pay-as-you-go option.
Jennifer and Andrew then focused on Apple Home, which Andrew explained originated over 10 years ago as HomeKit, emphasizing its secure approach compared to early, less secure Amazon devices. Despite initial hurdles like requiring proprietary hardware chips, Apple Home evolved, contributing significantly to the Matter open standard. Its core differentiators remain privacy and security, with local AI processing on devices like Apple TV or HomePod.
The central gap in Apple's smart home offering, as highlighted by both hosts, is the lack of a smart display—a device that allows control without a phone or voice. This has left Apple trailing behind Amazon and Google, which have offered smart displays for years. Andrew expressed envy for products like Nest Hubs and Echo Shows, valuing a central hub for device control, camera feeds, and essential information like weather and calendars. He hopes Apple's "magic touch" will elevate the experience.
The most anticipated rumor is the Apple smart display, potentially named "HomePad" or "Apple Pad." Andrew predicts a 7-inch display on a half-dome base, reminiscent of the iMac G4, with a wall-mountable option possibly using a magnetic (MagSafe-like) system and battery power to avoid complex wiring. He doesn't expect a full App Store at launch but believes it will feature Apple apps (Safari, News, Home, Calendar, Reminders, FaceTime) and crucially leverage iOS/macOS widgets and Live Activities. This would allow developers' existing interactive widgets (e.g., Sonos controls, smart home brand widgets, calendar apps) to function on the display without dedicated app development, providing broad functionality from day one. Multi-user support with facial recognition to display personalized information and a guest mode are also anticipated.
Andrew and Jennifer ranked the likelihood of new Apple Home hardware based on current rumors:
1. **Apple TV**: Predicted to come with an A17 Pro processor for on-device Apple intelligence, Apple's N1 networking chip (Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread 1.4), and a new remote with "Find My" functionality.
2. **New HomePod mini**: Expected to be updated after six years, featuring Apple intelligence/Siri AI, improved acoustics, and updated ultra-wideband chips.
3. **Better Siri in the Home**: This is considered a fundamental upgrade, unifying the Siri experience across devices to match the new Siri AI on iOS 27, addressing current inconsistencies between phone and home assistants.
These top three are seen as highly probable for a September announcement.
4. **Apple Home Smart Display (Apple Pad/Hub)**: While highly desired, Andrew places its announcement slightly lower, suggesting it might be revealed alongside other products but launched later, perhaps in October.
The next set of rumors are considered more dubious:
5. **Apple Doorbell Camera**: More likely than an indoor camera due to consumer demand, but Apple's typical avoidance of installation complexities (like wiring) makes its approach uncertain. A battery-powered, MagSafe-style option linked to the smart display is a possibility, along with facial ID features.
6. **Apple Security Camera (Indoor)**: Less likely than the doorbell, but could be Apple's entry into first-party security hardware. Its strength would be leveraging Apple's privacy and security stance to build trust, especially for AI-driven predictive home functions, despite general consumer hesitancy towards indoor cameras.
7. **Robotic Tabletop Display (Pixar Lamp)**: This is considered the least likely by Jennifer but Andrew is optimistic. Rumored to be a 7-inch display on a motorized arm that follows users, potentially incorporating existing tracking technology like Belkin's tracking stand. Code-named "charismatic," implying a personal, friendly assistant.
The podcast concluded with a recap of the rankings, expressing hope that these predictions would materialize, particularly the long-awaited smart display, to finally elevate the Apple Home experience.