Various rumors indicate that Apple will make a major push into smart home accessories in the second half of 2025, including retaining existing HomeKey functionality for future smart doorbells. Apple is also working with other smart home accessory manufacturers to ensure HomeKit compatibility. Apple's long-rumored HomeHub peripheral is expected to debut in the second half of 2025, and some Apple employees will reportedly take it home for real-world testing.
A new report from Bloomberg reiterates earlier claims that Apple intends to tie the rise of HomeKit accessories to smart home hubs, with the device now codenamed: J490.
This long-rumored accessory is now likely to not be officially released until the WWDC developer conference in June or later. This could coincide with the transformation of existing tvOS into the foundation for future homeOS.
Part of this may be due to the recently announced Siri development delays - Siri is now expected to be a big part of iOS and iPadOS 19 with the next version of macOS, rather than launching later in the iOS 18 cycle as previously expected.
However, testing of the product continues. A new report claims that Apple has begun internal testing of the device, including letting some employees take it home and provide feedback.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously claimed that the product will enter mass production in the second half of 2025, and is likely scheduled to debut during the holiday season. HomeHub is thought to include a camera for FaceTime calls as well as a high-quality speaker.
To complement the device, Apple may release its own line of indoor security cameras or work with existing manufacturers to ensure HomeKit is compatible with more smart home accessories. For example, IKEA recently applied for FCC clearance for its first Matter-over-Thread-enabled temperature and humidity sensor, which will work with its compatible Dirigera hub.
Currently, the unannounced Apple Home Hub is believed to have two versions. These include an iPad-like device that can be mounted on a wall or act as a HomePod audio device with a display, and a future Luxo-like robotic arm intended as a desktop device that can "follow" the user's movements during video calls, similar to a CenterStage feature.
These future hardware products will be tightly integrated with family members' personal Apple devices, providing coordination between contacts, calendars, reminders and other applications. According to rumors, Apple intends to offer the installable HomeHub as a low-cost device, with a later robot assistant as a more expensive and advanced option.