Apple is expected to launch its first new products of the year this week. But the launch I’m most excited about, the new ‘HomePad’ device, is going to require a longer wait than expected per a new Mark Gurman report.
New HomePad launch is now ‘months away’
Last November, Mark Gurman at Bloomberg published an extensive deep dive into a forthcoming Apple Home product. I’ve been calling it the HomePad.
At the time, he said Apple was targeting a March launch for the new device.
Just last month, however, Gurman followed up by indicating the HomePad “may take longer” to arrive. Since some of its features are tied to forthcoming software updates, he wrote, “it’s plausible that the hardware itself will ship a bit later.“
Ultimately, even though the March date was in doubt, Gurman still seemed optimistic that the HomePad could arrive sooner rather than later.
As of this weekend, that sounds less certain. In Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter, he writes:
Apple is no longer working on a car, and true AR glasses are probably three to five years away. Though Apple is pursuing smart home technology, its first major entry in that segment — a hub that can serve as a control center — is months away from shipping.
The key tidbit is at the end. Apple’s HomePad “is months away from shipping.”
This means two things:
- Gurman is now confident that March is officially off the table
- And while April could still be possible, it sounds like he may expect an even longer wait
April launch aligns well with iOS 18.4’s new AI features
Top comment by Blurft
I can see how this would be useful in some situations, but I question whether we've lost sight of the purpose of technology - to make our lives easier.
We started to buy smart home devices because we were sold on the idea of "you can control them with your voice or from your phone, which is so much more convenient than having to get up and do it manually"...only to get tired of having to pull out our phones to turn on the lights, or having to get guests set up with apps to control things while they're visiting, or worrying about sharing an iPad with personal data...so we end up spending even more money to buy physical light switches for our smart lights, shared controls like this rumored "HomePod Hub," and on and on in a cycle of constantly looking for the next "solution."
Many smart home devices can be great accessibility options for people who have difficulty using "traditional" versions of technologies, so I won't advocate that we abandon the concepts completely. They do have a place in the world.
But for those of us who are able-bodied, I think we should be more skeptical about whether a product is actually going to make our lives better, or if it's just another piece of tech that solves shortcomings of our last purchase while introducing new shortcomings that we'll then want to "solve" with another purchase.
My "mostly dumb home" is cheaper and easier to use than most "smart" homes. It's nice.
I’m more excited for the HomePad than perhaps any other Apple product launch this year. So I’m choosing to be optimistic and remember that “months away” could just mean two months, and an April launch.
The HomePad should pair especially well with Apple’s iOS 18.4 debut of powerful new Apple Intelligence capabilities—particularly a more capable Siri.
iOS 18.4 is coming in April, so a HomePad launch around then seems perfect. But we’ll have to wait and see what Apple has planned.
Are you looking forward to the HomePad? When do you think it will launch? Let us know in the comments.
Best HomeKit smart home accessories
- TP-Link Tapo 2K camera with HomeKit Secure Video
- Smart air purifier with Matter
- HomeKit Garage Door Opener
- HomeKit smart plug 4-pack
- ecobee smart thermostat
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