Apple Experience event will take place Oct. 13, Apple confirmed, and the company is widely expected to unveil a new smart home hub along with refreshed Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini hardware.
Apple posted the event confirmation after Greg Joswiak, Apples senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, shared a 17 second clip on X showing hands sewing a rainbow Apple logo into fabric and the words “Welcome home. October 13.” The companys event page lists the in person program in New Yorks Tribeca neighborhood for 9 a.m. Eastern Time, which is 9 p.m. Hong Kong time.
What to expect at the Apple Experience event
Guests and some technology reviewers, including Marques Brownlee, known online as MKBHD, have shared invitations to the Apple Experience event. Apples event page does not yet list a live streaming keynote, so the companys exact presentation format remains unclear.
Reports from Bloombergs Mark Gurman and other supply chain sources point to a new smart home control hub with internal code name J490, and a wall mounted variant labeled J491. Bloomberg reported the device will have an approximately 6 inch square display and a design that pays visual homage to the 2002 iMac G4, with a half sphere base and metal support arm. The outlet said the device may run a new operating system called homeOS and use an A18 class processor to support on device Siri AI features.
Design, specs and price details
Bloombergs reporting says the new hub will recognize approaching household members with an onboard camera and sensors, and switch to a personalized interface. The product had been expected in 2024, but delays came as Apple worked on tighter integration with its Siri AI efforts, the reporting said.
Supply chain leaks have suggested a price in the roughly $350 range. Using the Hong Kong to U.S. dollar conversion rate applied here, that corresponds to approximately $348 (originally 2,730 HKD). The hub is expected to require continuous power via a USB C cable and will not include an internal battery, according to the reports.
Updates to Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini
The Apple Experience event is also expected to include refreshed versions of the Apple TV 4K and the HomePod mini. Neither product has seen a full successor since their last updates in 2022 and 2020 respectively, Bloomberg and people familiar with the matter said.
People familiar with the plans, who requested anonymity to discuss private talks, said the updated devices will use faster core processors and a new N1 networking chip to enable local, low latency processing that Apple believes Siri AI will require.
Accessories and third party timing
Earlier reports have described a line of Apple branded accessories made in cooperation with LG, including smart doorbells and locks that would carry the LG brand. Supply chain sources say those accessories could appear under LGs name, but the third party accessories line may ship several months after the main hub and speakers.
Bloomberg analysis and industry observers said the new hardware could help HomeKit close a long standing feature gap with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. That said, as first generation hardware with core Siri AI still in testing, initial stability and how well the system interoperates with third party devices will be key to actual user experience, analysts said.
Separately, a larger flagship model with a 9 inch display and a 360 degree motorized hinge is said to remain in engineering and is not expected at the Oct. 13 event. Specific pricing and availability for the Hong Kong market will be announced after Apple releases official details.
