Apple's Siri-based home hub reported near launch after testing in employees' homes

The device, known internally as J490, has been rumored since 2022 and is now in broad testing ahead of a launch, according to Gurman's report. No release date has been confirmed by Apple.

According to the report, the device would either sit on a stand resembling a sliced-in-half HomePod Mini or attach to a wall. It is described as looking like an Echo Show with a smaller display, and would offer Wi-Fi connectivity, an advanced display, a camera, microphones and an interface that Gurman described as looking "like a mashup of iOS, tvOS and watchOS." It would sync with an iPhone for setup and some tasks.

More controversially, the report says the device would use facial recognition through its camera system to identify who is looking at the screen and personalize content "including apps, notes, calendar appointments, news, music and podcasts." The display would support a home screen, widgets and clock faces like those on the iPhone Duo's standby mode.

Its functions would revolve around Siri AI, which appeared with iOS 27 and allows users to look up information across devices and accounts. Users would be able to ask it to play a podcast or song someone recently sent them, find a particular image, or carry out tasks in apps such as Calendar and Notes.

The product was expected to arrive as early as 2024 but was delayed by issues with Apple Intelligence, according to the report. No arrival date has been predicted, though recent leaks suggest it could come later this year.

Gurman also reported that Apple scrapped a Pencil designed specifically for the dual-screen iPhone Duo. That stylus was described as shorter and magnetic so it could attach to the Duo's hinge, but Apple encountered technical problems before mass production and shifted to supporting the current iPad Apple Pencil instead. The company plans to support that Pencil by the end of 2026, according to the report.