Apple delays HomePod with screen to make its software look like iOS 19, says rumor
Reports already indicated the device would be delayed due to Apple Intelligence issues.
📺 Apple is further delaying its rumored HomePod with a screen, according to a leak
📅 The device likely won’t come out until after WWDC
📱 It’s to ensure the software looks like iOS 19, which is getting a major redesign
🤖 We already expected the device to get delayed due to Apple Intelligence issues
🍁 The “HomePad” could still arrive sometime in the fall
Apple’s first smart home display is reportedly being delayed for different reasons than we thought. According to infamous leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, the company’s first “HomePad” (a.k.a. a HomePod with an iPad-like touchscreen) will miss WWDC entirely, which is where it was expected to be announced. Instead, Apple will continue working on it to ensure its software aligns with the huge iOS 19 redesign coming later this year.
Kuo said on X that the delay goes beyond Apple Intelligence, which is facing a plethora of problems behind the scenes for Apple. Rather, the Cupertino tech giant wants to ensure the “HomePad” (as some are calling it) experience aligns with other products in the company’s ecosystem. Based on the post that Kuo shared, it sounds like the device was originally going to come with an iOS 18-like user interface, but is now being updated to reflect iOS 19’s visual overhaul which is rumored to resemble visionOS on the Apple Vision Pro.
The first smart home display from Apple is rumored to offer an interesting blend of features. It’s said to come with an almost-square display that looks like two iPhones sitting next to each other, an A18 chip for performance, and apps like FaceTime and Calendar built in. Obviously, the primary way you’ll interact with it is through Siri, which isn’t expected to get a major AI upgrade until next year.
Whether Apple launches this device before Siri is outfitted with a more personal, contextual experience via Apple Intelligence is unclear. However, it still seems like Apple is interested in shipping it sometime in the fall, so it could land around the time of the iPhone 17 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. It was originally rumored to ship in March, but that clearly doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
The leak comes shortly after Apple went on an announcement spree, revealing the $599 iPhone 16e, the M4 MacBook Air, the M3 Ultra Mac Studio, an upgraded iPad Air, and an updated iPad. From the looks of it, 2025 won’t be a slow year for Apple, and new products like the mysterious HomePad are just the tip of the iceberg.
Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
