In summary:
- Macworld reports that Apple is expected to significantly expand its smart home ecosystem in 2026 with four major product categories including new devices beyond traditional Apple TV and HomePods.
- Key rumored products include a HomeKit security camera with audio monitoring, a HomePad smart hub with 7-inch touchscreen, updated HomePod mini 2, and next-generation Apple TV 4K with A17 Pro chip.
- This strategic push aims to help Apple catch up with competitors like Amazon and Google in the smart home market.
Apple’s smart home efforts have generally lagged behind its rivals. While Amazon and Google have been putting out all sorts of smart doorbells, speakers, and home hubs, the iPhone maker has long limited its ambitions to its multi-functional line of Apple TVs and HomePods. This approach could finally change next year.
In 2026, Apple is expected to expand its smart home footprint by releasing several new devices aimed at the smart home, including at least two entirely new device categories. Curious what’s coming? Here’s an overview of every Apple smart home product expected to debut in the year ahead.
HomePad home hub
Arguably, Apple’s most exciting smart home device in 2026 will be the rumored home hub, dubbed HomePad. For those unfamiliar, Apple has reportedly long been working on an iPad-like device that doubles as a home hub for your connected HomeKit, Matter, and Thread accessories. While iPads once functioned as Apple Home hubs, the HomePad’s utility will likely expand beyond basic accessory controls.
Reports suggest that the HomePad will pack a 7-inch square touchscreen and the iPhone 16’s A18 processor. This would enable the device to handle Apple Intelligence features, including the context-aware Siri that should launch in the spring. Another standout feature could be an advanced, never-before-seen variant of the TrueDepth camera with support for multiuser facial recognition.
Apple’s HomePad will reportedly merge an iPad with a HomePod to create a completely new device.
Foundry
If the leaks materialize, the 1080p ultra-wide camera will be able to identify users in the room and curate the displayed content dynamically. Siri on HomePod can already recognize different users’ voices, so a visual implementation of this feature would be the next logical step for Apple Home. Unsurprisingly, the bundled lens will also work with FaceTime, letting household members make and receive calls even when their iPhones aren’t around.
Given that the HomePad will probably rely heavily on the new Siri’s voice commands, Apple may coordinate their release, which means it could arrive alongside iOS 26.4 in March or April.
Security camera
Along with the hub, Apple is also reportedly working on some smart home accessories, including at least one that could arrive in 2026: a HomeKit-enabled security camera. Like HomePods, the accessory will reportedly monitor the audio in your house and notify you when it detects fire alarms. Not much else is known about this peripheral, beyond the inclusion of multiple sensors and its ability to take photos.
Apple Home already supports HomeKit security cameras, with iCloud+ even offering specialized perks for these third-party devices. The number of cameras you can use with the HomeKit Secure Video feature depends on your iCloud+ tier, with the 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB plans unlocking one, five, and unlimited camera slots, respectively. Perhaps the best part about this implementation is that you can store recorded footage in the cloud without it counting against your iCloud storage quota.
Apple may be looking to release its first smart home accessory in 2026.
Foundry
Other neat tools include the ability to detect people, pets, and cars using the home hub’s on-device smarts, sharing the live stream with other users, and viewing ten days of activity right from the Home app.
It’s safe to assume that Apple’s rumored security cameras will support all of these existing perks and much more. After all, Apple tends to favor its devices and gives them exclusive advantages to entice customers to use its own products.
HomePod mini 2
Turning to more modest but still welcome updates, the second-gen HomePod mini could debut in early 2026. Beyond introducing new color options, the first-generation model hasn’t seen any meaningful upgrades since its initial 2020 launch. Despite the five-year gap, the HomePod mini 2 is unfortunately not expected to feature any groundbreaking changes.
Perhaps the most noticeable boost will be the inclusion of the latest Apple Watch S10 chip. This would allow the small smart speaker to potentially support more advanced features launching with future firmware versions. Given the S10 chip’s constraints in the Apple Watch, however, it’s unclear whether the HomePod mini 2 will support Apple Intelligence, including the more advanced features of Siri 2.0.
Will the HomePod mini finally get an update in 2026?
Foundry
Elsewhere, the HomePod mini 2 will likely pack Apple’s custom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, contributing to higher efficiency and smoother interoperability with other Apple devices. The speaker may also adopt the U2 ultra-wideband chip, which would increase the precision of spatially-aware features, such as Handoff with iPhone.
Moving on to the most innovative aspect of the HomePod mini 2, the petite player could feature refreshed colorways to distinguish it from the current-gen model.
Apple TV 4K 4
In a similar fashion, the Apple TV 4K could see a minor upgrade early next year, primarily revolving around a processing push. The fourth-generation model could boast the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro chipset, possibly unlocking some AI features on the large screen. It could also bring support for higher-end AAA games, given how powerful that processor is.
Like the HomePod mini 2, the Apple TV 4K 4 is also rumored to adopt the company’s in-house chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for an elevated connectivity experience. The set-top box could potentially see a price drop, too, to better compete against Amazon Fire TV and Google TV.
Take a look at Apple’s plans for 2026 for what else could be coming this year.
Author: Mahmoud Itani, Contributor, Macworld
For a decade, Mahmoud has rigorously evaluated Apple hardware and software. His current technological arsenal features an iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, MacBook Air M2, iPad Air M1, AirPods Pro 2, AirTag, Apple TV 4K 3, and HomePod Mini stereo pair. Outside of work, you’ll likely find him jogging at a park, swimming in open water, brainstorming at a coffeehouse, composing poetry on a rooftop, or merely lost in nature.