Published : 13 Oct 2026, 04:30 PM
Updated : 13 Oct 2026, 04:30 PM
Apple is expected to unveil a new range of smart home products on Tuesday, including an iPad-like device designed to hang on walls or sit on tabletops and featuring an upgraded version of its Siri virtual assistant.
The devices are intended to help users manage connected home equipment such as doorbells, thermostats and smart locks. Analysts also expect possible updates to Apple’s HomePod smart speakers and Apple TV devices.
The launch comes as Apple seeks to strengthen its position in a market where it has struggled to gain significant ground over the past decade. Its rivals include Amazon, which has invested heavily in Echo speakers and Ring doorbells, as well as newer AI companies such as OpenAI that are exploring hardware products.
Investors are also watching Apple’s hardware business more closely for growth, as regulatory pressure weighs on its services revenue.
Apple introduced its Home app for controlling connected devices in 2016 and launched its HomePod speakers two years later. However, its products continue to compete with Google Home speakers and Amazon’s Echo range.
Analysts have identified two key challenges for Apple: ensuring its devices work smoothly with third-party products and improving Siri’s ability to provide useful answers.
Apple upgraded Siri’s capabilities this summer with help from Google, but setting up a smart home remains too complicated for many consumers to see the benefits, said Bob O’Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research.
“Advancements in AI should finally help, but the key questions for Apple are, do they have connectivity smarts to simplify the process and are they going to be willing to work across the smart home ecosystem and not just within their own walled garden,” O’Donnell said.
