Tag: Apple Smart Home

Mark Gurman from Bloomberg says Apple has started a special testing program for its new smart home gadget, which some call the HomePad. It was supposed to launch in March, but that’s not happening anymore. The delay is because Apple is still working on making Siri smarter, which is taking longer than planned.

Why the Delay?

Even without the Siri troubles, the smart home device was unlikely to hit its March target. It needs new Siri features, called App Intent, that were meant to come with iOS 18.4 in April. But now, Apple has admitted those upgrades are running late. In a message to Daring Fireball, they said:

“We’re building a Siri that knows more about you and can do tasks in your apps. It’s taking more time than we expected, and we’ll roll it out next year.”

Rumors hinted at these Siri updates arriving with iOS 18.5 or later, but Apple’s “next year” comment suggests bigger delays. Gurman even thinks Apple might need to rethink its whole plan for Siri and Apple Intelligence. Since the smart home gadget depends on these Siri improvements, its launch has been pushed back, too.

Testing at Home

Even though the public won’t see it soon, Apple isn’t sitting still. Gurman reports they’ve kicked off a testing program for employees. Some staff get to bring the device home, try it out, and tell Apple what works or doesn’t. This helps fix problems before the gadget goes on sale.

What’s This Device Like?

Here’s a quick look at what people say the new smart home hub might offer:

• A 7-inch square screen with a thick edge
• A camera up top
• A battery you can recharge
• A new system called homeOS
• Great for video calls like FaceTime
• Works with lots of Apple apps
• A handy dashboard like StandBy
• Simple controls for your smart home
• Support for Apple Intelligence

The delay is a bummer, but it’s smart to wait until everything’s ready. For now, Apple’s team is testing it to make it better.

Apple is bringing out three new devices for your home this year: the HomePad, a new Apple TV 4K, and the HomePod mini 2. These gadgets are set to make a big change in how smart homes work.

A New Chip for Better Connections

Mark Gurman has shared that the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 will be released later this year. While we don’t know everything about these new gadgets yet, we do know they will have a special new chip. This chip, called “Proxima,” is made by Apple and handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Here’s why this is important:

• Energy Efficiency: Apple wants to make its devices work better together while using less power.
• Better Connectivity: This chip helps Apple gadgets connect to the internet and pair with other devices like headphones more easily.
• Synchronization: With this chip, your Apple devices at home can share data faster and work more closely with each other.

What This Means for Your Smart Home
This chip is part of Apple’s big push into smart homes. It’s like when Apple added a new type of radio to their latest iPhones, iPads, and Macs. At first, it wasn’t clear why, but now we see it was preparing for a better smart home setup with technologies like Matter.

Even though having a new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip might not sound thrilling, it can make a lot of difference. It means all your Apple devices can work together more smoothly. HomeKit, Apple’s smart home system, sometimes has connection issues, and this new chip might help fix that.

Looking Ahead

Apple also plans to release its smart home gadgets like cameras and doorbells next year. For Apple to take the lead in smart homes, everything needs to work well together. This new chip is like a missing piece that could make everything work smoothly.

I’m excited for Apple to step up its game in the smart home world, and it looks like we won’t have to wait long to see these changes.