Apple's smart home hub reportedly named HomeView, launching at 'Welcome home' event

The report comes just ahead of Apple's smart home event on Tuesday. Gurman said the hub is intended to serve as a Siri command center for an Apple-powered smart home and will pair with other Apple smart home devices, including a HomePod mini that is also expected to be refreshed.

The 'View' in the name is meant to convey that the device will be a display controlled primarily through Siri and voice commands, rather than a tablet-like experience implied by a name such as 'HomePad,' he said. According to Gurman, the HomeView will come in a countertop version with a metal speaker base in space gray, silver, starlight and pink color options, as well as a wall-mounted model that will only come in space gray and silver.

Unlike Apple's other hardware, the HomeView will support only a limited selection of Apple apps and will not have access to the App Store, Gurman reported. Apple reportedly wants users to lean on third-party accessories that can connect to the HomeView through Siri, Apple's Home app or its devices, he said.

To achieve that, Apple has been working with LG to develop several smart home devices, including doorbells, thermostats and outdoor security cameras, according to Gurman. Gurman also reported that Apple is working with Schneider Electric SE for smart home devices across the European market, and that all of these third-party products will be available under the 'Apple Home Collection.'

Along with the reported HomeView hub, Apple is expected to reveal a revamped HomePod mini with the S10 chip and a new Apple TV set-top box with the A19 chip, Gurman said. While the new HomePod mini and Apple TV are expected to start shipping and be available in Apple stores on October 30, the HomeView will release a few weeks later in mid-November, according to Gurman. The third-party products from LG should release after that, with Gurman predicting they will ship later this year at the earliest.