Since 2021, 'homeOS' has been the subject of ongoing rumors. It will reportedly serve as the foundation of Apple's smart home plans, with a new HomePod with a screen expected to kick things off in 2025.
Apple currently has iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, macOS and visionOS.
We saw the first references to 'homeOS' in job listings in 2021, and in 2024 developers found references to it in beta versions of tvOS, Apple's operating system for Apple TV. However, there are still no products almost four years later.
What is homeOS?
According to Bloomberg, homeOS – built on tvOS – is a new operating system from Apple that, together with the Matter protocol, is expected to be the foundation for the smart home.
- "Over the next two years, I expect home hardware to be a top priority for Apple," wrote Mark Gurman, Bloomberg.
The first product with homeOS is reportedly a new HomePod speaker with a screen mounted on a stand – similar to Apple's old iMac G4. This device will control other devices in the home and compete with similar products from Amazon and Google. It will include a built-in battery.
The current HomePod has LED indicators on top – but no screen. Photo: Apple
The screen is expected to be 6-7 inches and the HomePod will be able to run apps, including the Apple TV app. It will be built on an A18 processor, which will enable Apple Intelligence functionality.
- "If the product does catch on, it will help set the stage for more home devices. Apple is working on a high-end AI companion with a robotic arm and large display that could serve as a follow-up. The company could also put more resources into developing mobile robots, privacy-focused home cameras and speakers. It may even revisit the idea of making an Apple-branded TV set, something it’s evaluating. But if the first device fails, Apple may have to rethink its smart home ambitions once again," wrote Mark Gurman.
Expected to launch in 2025
Two reliable Apple tipsters, Bloomberg and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, claims that the new HomePod with a screen will launch in 2025, likely in Q3 2025 followed by a home camera from Apple in 2026.
The devices are said to feature a system to securely identify people in the home – similar to Face ID – and can automatically switch the interface based on how far away the user is.
The upcoming HomePod with a screen is expected to be "relatively cheap", according to Bloomberg.
- Source: Bloomberg, Ming-Chi Kuo
