Apple's Upcoming Smart Home Accessory Could Feature 'Squarish' Display

Apple is rumored to be working on a sort of iPad-like smart display that will serve as a home hub for controlling your HomeKit and Matter devices. We've been hearing rumors about the device for the last couple of years, and now there's some new information about its potential design.

HomePod G4 Feature
Called the "HomeAccessory" internally, the upcoming smart home device has a "squarish display," according to 9to5Mac. The square display would make the product distinct from an iPad, which has a more rectangular display. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously described the smart home hub as "iPad-like" with features adopted from the ‌iPad‌, HomePod, and the Apple TV, but he's also described a separate ‌HomePod‌ with a screen, which seems to be simpler.

9to5Mac claims it is unclear whether the square design will make it into the final product, which also seems to have a built-in camera for FaceTime. The device includes a camera that is able to identify hand gestures from afar, and it can tell one person apart from another for personalized requests. While it can run apps and play media like the ‌Apple TV‌, it will also serve as an AirPlay receiver like the ‌HomePod‌.

MacRumors spotted signs of the HomeAccessory in Apple's backend code earlier this year. It is a product that is distinct from Apple's other home devices, the ‌Apple TV‌ and the ‌HomePod‌. It seems to run a variant of tvOS much like the ‌HomePod‌, and the test version we've seen described is equipped with an A18 chip, so there is a possibility that it might not be too far off from launching.

With an A18 chip or later, Apple's smart home product would be able to run Apple Intelligence features, and it would support the smarter Siri that Apple plans to introduce in 2025. Prior rumors have said that it will debut in 2025 at the earliest, and 9to5Mac says it could come next spring.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...

Top Rated Comments

sunapple Avatar
24 weeks ago
This product doesn’t make sense. Really curious how they’ll market this. Surely with a silly name and price.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
VPRunner Avatar
24 weeks ago
I just would have no use for this.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
groove-agent Avatar
24 weeks ago
Aren't most displays "squarish"?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ultracyclist Avatar
24 weeks ago
I would love to see this as an add on for my iPad. Just the base with a magnetic iPad holder that offers power like the Magic Keyboard. Maybe auto connect to a speaker inside the base.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rayansb Avatar
24 weeks ago
good cuz I was worried the display would be round
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bolebent Avatar
24 weeks ago
Fantastic information “it may have a square display” !!!!!!!!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)