We have been hearing for several months about a new Apple device for our home. We know very little about the hardware, but we have a clearer idea about the software, and there is a key component: Apple Intelligence. According to Mark Gurman, the Cupertino company has three fundamental pillars in its plan for a new smart home automation: a deep integration with Siri, a new operating system called homeOS, and greater compatibility with accessories thanks to Matter.
The central role of Siri and artificial intelligence
One of the most interesting aspects of this new home automation strategy is the key role that Siri will play. Apple Intelligence will enable much more advanced home automation, with precise control of applications, devices, and media, all through voice commands. At the heart of this new platform is the App Intents system, which will allow Siri to perform actions within applications in a much more sophisticated manner than before.
Starting in the spring of 2025, Siri will have the ability to perform hundreds of new actions on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac without the need for us to touch the devices. With this, it would completely change the way we interact with our home technology, as with a simple request we will be able to go far beyond what Siri currently allows us.
homeOS will be the new center of the smart home
The second pillar of Apple’s strategy is the launch of a new operating system, homeOS. This system will be, as far as we know, based on tvOS, the software that currently powers the Apple TV, but optimized for the smart home.
homeOS will not only enhance the integration of Apple’s existing devices, such as the HomePod and Apple TV, but will also facilitate the connection of a wider range of compatible products and accessories thanks to the use of Matter, a connectivity standard that unifies smart home ecosystems.
New devices: making sense of previous rumors
In addition to the software, Apple is also preparing new devices to accompany this ambitious strategy. One of the most anticipated and rumored products is the smart display that will be launched in 2025. This device, according to Gurman, will be designed to play Apple TV+ content, make FaceTime calls, browse the web, and manage applications like Calendar and Notes.
Although it does not aim to rival the HomePod in sound quality, it will be an affordable option that will allow us to distribute several units throughout the house, similar to how the HomePod mini is currently used.
But this is not all. Apple also has in mind a high-end device that could mark a before and after in the home products market. This device, which would be priced around $1,000 according to Gurman, will offer advanced security monitoring capabilities, video conferencing, and media playback with sound quality superior to that of the HomePod.
What will make it stand out from the competition is its screen mounted on a rotating robotic arm, which will make it easier to use in different parts of the house, and its ability to respond visually no matter where we speak to it from.
The combination of a much more capable Siri, a dedicated operating system like homeOS, and a new range of devices form a truly interesting strategy. Although the final details are yet to come, the direction is clear: Apple wants our ecosystem to be even smarter, more capable, and more useful.
