Mashable: Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reported today that a new smart home hub resembling the HomePod, featuring a 7-inch display, is set to be released in 2025. Gurman anticipates that this home hub will be "Apple's most significant release of the year," marking the company's "initial move towards a more prominent position in the smart home sector."

In his newsletter, he described the device as akin to a "smaller and more affordable iPad," enabling users to "manage appliances, engage in FaceTime conversations, and perform various other functions."

There have been multiple rumors regarding both a HomePod with a display and an Apple home hub, suggesting they may be the same device.

Last month, Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst specializing in Apple's supply chain, indicated that a new HomePod featuring a 6-to-7-inch screen, an A18 chip, and support for Apple Intelligence would begin mass production in the latter half of 2025.

Kuo noted that smart home functionalities would be a fundamental aspect of the device, which aligns with the ongoing home hub speculation.

Gurman has previously mentioned that the hub could be placed on a tabletop base equipped with a speaker or mounted on a wall. He stated that the device would operate on a new "homeOS" platform, featuring a customizable widget-centric home screen, and would be centered around Siri, Apple Intelligence, and HomeKit.

Additionally, the hub could function as a home security system by showcasing camera feeds, and it would include a built-in camera for FaceTime video calls.

Apple's hub is expected to compete with offerings such as Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show. It remains uncertain whether Apple will utilize the HomePod branding for this device or introduce a completely new name, potentially the Apple Home.

Both Kuo and Gurman have also mentioned that Apple is developing an indoor camera compatible with the hub. The status of an update for the current full-size HomePod speaker this year is unclear, although a new HomePod mini is anticipated to be released later this year.

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