Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims that Apple plans to launch the 2026 Apple TV, 2026 HomePod mini, and a smart home hub device with Siri AI at its fall 2026 event.
The 2026 Apple TV is internally codenamed J265 and is expected to be upgraded with the A17 Pro chip, with support for Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.
In terms of design, the publication reviewed existing reports and noted that the 2026 Apple TV 4K will retain the current rounded-square design and continue to use black plastic, with no differences in size or appearance.
The biggest highlight of the 2026 Apple TV 4K is its upgraded A17 Pro chip. The chip first appeared in the iPhone 15 Pro series and will deliver a significant performance improvement over the A15 Bionic chip currently used in the Apple TV.
Apple's A17 Pro chip is manufactured using a 3-nanometer process and supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing and hardware-accelerated AV1 decoding. It is also the earliest A-series chip in Apple's existing product lineup to support Apple Intelligence.
On the AI front, the 2026 Apple TV 4K will support the new Siri AI. Gurman previously reported in March this year that the new Apple TV 4K's hardware had long been ready, but its release had been delayed multiple times because of Siri AI.
In terms of connectivity, the new Apple TV 4K may feature Apple's N1 networking chip and support Wi-Fi 7, allowing it to use the 6GHz band provided by next-generation routers. It is also expected to support Bluetooth 6.0 and the Thread smart home protocol.
Apple is expected to launch the next-generation HomePod mini 2 at any time. Internally codenamed B525, the new product will not differ much in appearance, but it may be available in new colors.
In terms of specifications, the HomePod mini 2 is expected to feature the S10 SiP chip used in the Apple Watch Series 10, potentially delivering better sound quality and more advanced real-time computational audio. It is expected to be upgraded to Bluetooth 5.3 and equipped with a second-generation ultra-wideband (UWB) chip. Its price is expected to remain unchanged from the first-generation model at 99 US dollars (note: approximately 684.6 yuan at the current exchange rate).
The smart hub will have 2 versions, internally codenamed J490 and J491. J490 will feature a semi-dome-shaped base described as looking like half of a HomePod mini, while J491 will support wall mounting.
The product is positioned as a smart home hub, supporting calls, music playback, weather checks, Siri, photo browsing, and family calendars, among other functions. Its goal is to become “the core of the company's smart home strategy revival.”
In terms of specifications, the product is expected to feature the A18 chip, support Apple Intelligence, and run first-party apps including Safari, Apple Music, Notes, Calendar, Photos, and Apple News. It will not have a standalone App Store.
The product will also be equipped with a presence sensor to detect whether anyone is in the room. Its built-in Face ID will identify speakers and present personalized apps, functions, and interfaces for different users.
As for the release date, Gurman revealed that Apple may launch the smart hub in October 2026 or early 2027.