Apple will hold its second fall event on October 13, 2026, in Tribeca, New York, at 9AM ET. The company’s marketing chief, Greg Joswiak, announced the date with a short message: “Welcome home. October 13.”
The wording points to a clear focus: Apple’s first significant attempt to enter the smart home market. The event is expected to introduce a new smart display, updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and smart home products made with other companies.
The biggest announcement could be HomePad, a smart display designed to bring Apple’s home ecosystem into a dedicated screen. The device is expected to have a 6-inch square display, with support for touchscreen interactions and interface elements that can be customized in ways familiar from the Apple Watch and the iPhone’s StandBy mode.
What HomePad Could Do
HomePad will be able to run iPadOS-style apps, giving it a broader role than a screen that only shows controls. Its display could combine smart home functions with apps in one place, while the customizable interface would let Apple shape the experience around information and controls shown on the screen.
The device is also expected to detect who is looking at it and adjust its interface and apps based on that person. HomePad will not rely on Face ID technology from the iPhone for recognition, so Apple’s approach to identifying viewers will differ from the system used to unlock an iPhone.
There are two display measurements tied to the HomePad details: a 6-inch square display and a 7-inch display. Apple’s event should settle how those figures fit into the final product description.
The delay of HomePad until Siri AI was ready also connects the display to Apple’s plans for Siri. The company is expected to update the HomePod mini and Apple TV with new chips that support Siri AI, making the event about more than a single new device.
New Chips, Colors, and Smart Home Partners
The new Apple TV 4K will be powered by at least an A19 chip from the iPhone 17 lineup. The Apple TV update is also expected to support the new Siri AI, giving the television device a place in Apple’s broader smart home plans.
The HomePod mini is expected to receive an update as well, with new colors including green, pink, blue, black, and white. Those color choices would give the compact speaker a refreshed lineup while the new chip support connects it to Siri AI and the HomePad experience.
Apple is also collaborating with LG Electronics on a wider group of smart home devices. The products include smart locks, doorbells, thermostats, and temperature sensors, all designed to work with Apple’s smart home ecosystem.
LG Electronics will manufacture, sell, and support those devices. Apple’s role is the collaboration and ecosystem connection, while LG will handle the products themselves. A later leak also suggested that similar third-party devices will come from Schneider Electric, including a thermostat.
A Major Moment for Apple’s Smart Home Plans
The event’s timing gives it added weight. Apple will hold it ten days before the expected October 23, 2026, launch of the foldable iPhone Duo, putting the smart home announcements just ahead of another major product release.
Still, the October 13 event is expected to stand on its own. HomePad would give Apple a dedicated smart display, while updated Apple TV and HomePod mini devices would add Siri AI support across products already found in the home.
The partnerships with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric would also expand Apple’s reach beyond its own hardware. Smart locks, doorbells, thermostats, and temperature sensors would let the company connect more parts of a home without manufacturing every device itself.
Apple has entered the smart home conversation through products such as Apple TV and HomePod mini, but this event is expected to mark its first significant attempt to build a broader smart home market presence. HomePad, new chips, Siri AI support, and third-party devices could show how Apple wants those pieces to work together.
For now, the date is set: October 13, 2026, at 9AM ET in Tribeca, New York. The phrase “Welcome home” has given the event its theme, and Apple is expected to explain what that means for its next group of devices.
Based on
- What to expect at Apple’s ‘Welcome home’ event next week — engadget.com
- Apple Is Set To Show Off New Smart Home Devices At An October 13 Event — engadget.com
- Apple announces ‘Welcome Home’ event to launch entirely new kind of products | The Independent — independent.co.uk
- Apple is about to launch entirely new products – here’s everything it will announce | The Independent — independent.co.uk
