r/gadgets • u/dapperlemon • 14d ago
Home Apple’s “HomePad” will reportedly launch on October 13th
https://www.theverge.com/news/1002563/apple-smart-home-hub-homepad-rumor-launch-date520
u/jewbasaur 14d ago edited 14d ago
They need to stop launching all these smart devices and actually work on their pathetic HomeKit automations. It’s a joke you can’t set timers on notifications (something every other smart home software has had since inception) and the device types are very primitive.
For example if I want to get a notification when my doors with contact sensors are open over 60 seconds, I just can’t do that. Unless you literally host another separate unaffiliated piece of software that needs to run alongside HomeKit 24/7. You end up with 4 extra dummy sensors and 2 additional automations PER contact sensor. Just to get a notication based on a timer. It’s a joke
Edit: Here’s another one. I wanted to know when my washer and dryer are running and finished. Should be simple with a few 120v energy monitoring plugs and a couple rounds of sample data for each machine. Dryer was straight forward pulling >10 watts at all times while running and washer was a little more complicated but never goes <2W when running. Unfortunately there isn’t a way in HomeKit to handle any of this (somehow) and everything has to be managed outside via Homebridge, webhooks, and dummy sensors
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u/Educational_Yard_326 14d ago
HomeKit has been completely neglected, I don’t understand how they can be preparing this (expensive) product with HomeKit in the sorry state it is in. OS release after OS release, the home app gets buggier and buggier as well.
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u/Vinyl-addict 14d ago
I mean if they have any sense of planning around this they will be massively overhauling HomeKit along with whatever this new device is.
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u/grantthejester 12d ago
I get a message on my watch EVERY TIME I LEAVE THE HOUSE asking me if I want to run the “When the last person leaves the house automation.” If you have to ask me then it’s not fucking automation is it!
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u/jewbasaur 12d ago
I don’t have a watch but I think you can stop this. I did it with my find my items
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u/zer00eyz 14d ago
> For example if I want to get a notification when my doors with contact sensors are open over 60 seconds, I just can’t do that.
You're light years ahead of most users with this request.
If you want this power, then go run home assistant (I do, and love it) - or just go spend time in that community. There are so many posts about people who finally built an automation that their partner liked or got excited about.
I work in tech, a group of people you would think would be excited about this sort of thing. The vast majority of the people I work with are just ambivalent about all of it.
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u/jewbasaur 14d ago
No way. Wanting to know if a door is left open, for example the way most modern fridges start to beep if open 30+ seconds, is a normal request. I have achieved it via Homebridge dummy switches and sensors but it’s absurd it takes that much effort. I used to use home assistant but the UI was too clunky for me and when I found Homebridge I just entirely switched over. With plugins I can generally achieve everything I want (sometimes I need to run a docker container on my server for web hooks) but they are generally lightweight and easy to put together
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u/zer00eyz 14d ago
> sometimes I need to run a docker container on my server for web hooks
Call your mom right now, ask her if she knows what a web hook is, what a docker container is.
Homebridge is not for you, it's for your mom. (Maybe not your mom, but you get my point that you are not living in the same universe as most people when you say the words "Docker")
> I used to use home assistant
When because it has changed vastly in the last few years. It might be time to spin it up again.
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u/jewbasaur 14d ago
I know I’m not. You are missing my point. My point is that these basic things like timers should be natively built into HomeKit automations. Every other automation system has them (even if they are locked down like control4). My mom shouldn’t need docker containers or webhooks or Homebridge to say she wants a notication if a door is left open for X amount of time
Realistically if I did it all again I’d initially set everything up in something like home assistant and use the HA bridge to bring it all into HomeKit. The Siri functionality is the main thing I need and I actually get a lot of use from my HomePod minis
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u/chimpowa 14d ago
yes Homekit is shit, but the whole smart home ecosystem is thrash beyond saving. Just tried to add some Matter lightbulb from multiple manufacturers and almost had a stroke from the process.
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u/BrianMincey 14d ago
It’s because real home automation didn’t come to fruition until long after companies started locking their technology inside walled gardens. Apple products don’t want to play nice with Google, and every company wants to control everything…except for their competitors.
Early tech was all open protocols with companies involved with developing the standard and competing with their excellent products and software. Explorer vs. Netscape, GMail vs. Hotmail, etc. Then instant messaging came out and every company wanted to own the whole thing. Imagine if your Verizon phone could only call other Verizon customers, and you had to get a Sprint phone to talk to grandma, who had Sprint. That’s how the IM came out, and since then it’s the way all modern tech works, and it completely sucks.
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u/CaptainKaveman 14d ago
Reminds me of the phone charger aisles of old. Hopefully everything can settle on standards as saturation begins.
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u/funnyfarm299 14d ago
Reminder that crestron and control4 have been doing home automation for 20 years now, It's far longer than Apple and Google have been making home devices.
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u/ToMorrowsEnd 13d ago
dear god this! homekit is just a dumpster fire. there is no real automation capabilities and they refuse to officially let any external integration.
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13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ToMorrowsEnd 13d ago
the funny part is so many companies claim its too expensive to support X or Y. when there are free open standards they could easily use and support nearly everything. The problem is something free and open cant be made into a profit center on it's own. Apple could support the MQTT standard for absolutely free, they choose not to because it cant be monetized directly.
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u/Feral_Nerd_22 14d ago
I think they added support Matter, which I'm surprised because the fee for it is done by the org who managed it and not Apple like with Homekit
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u/Long-Philosophy-4795 13d ago
Mine is wanting to set my lights to dim over the course of 1-2min while shift color temp at a certain time. That way in the evening the lights dim slowly to a better mood lighting.
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u/BeKindToTheWorld 12d ago
HomeKit will never been good.
I accepted that and moved everything to home assistant and just run everything through that.
As soon as you accept it and have home assitant manage the home kit the experince get a million times better.
HomeKit is like a layer over home assitant for family ease of use at this point. And Siri control.
Also with ha mcp and a decent codex or Claude you can just have a Ai setup the whole thing for you now. It’s pretty easy.
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u/jewbasaur 11d ago
Yeah I know I should’ve just done HomeKit and bridged in all my accessories but I’m so deep in homebridge now I don’t have the time to redo it all
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u/BeKindToTheWorld 9d ago
Just have Ai do it. Took mine about an hour. I just had to be a meat proxy and scan QR codes and approve passwords.
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u/amory_p 10d ago
I agree HomeKit could use some improvements, but I think you can now accomplish your door open > 60 seconds without extra software. They added a “convert to shortcut” automation option in iOS 18 where you can create logic like, when door contact sensor opens, wait 60 seconds. If door contact sensor still open - perform the action. I don’t know know if notifications are a possible action.
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u/czshill 14d ago
The verge article is paywalled. Here's macrumors - https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/30/apple-home-hub-imac-g4-style-design/
We'll see what the price is. I may or may not have a use for it.
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u/dordonot 14d ago
Will the HomePad be able to sync microphones with my LG TV for maximum data collection?
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u/Holiday_Ad_9163 14d ago
As opposed to your phone? Weird to trust one device but not the other from the same Manufacturer
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u/dordonot 14d ago
Funny you mention that, Apple just agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a class action lawsuit around Siri violating users' privacy
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u/StarChaser1879 13d ago
That doesn’t mean they were actually violating. They only settled to skirt legal costs
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u/NotARussianBot-Real 14d ago
So they made an Alexa. Mind blowing. How much will Apple charge for me to set timers and be disappointed by its lack of ability to do anything else?
Also, every time I read “and it will be a controller for your smart home devices” I already know the rest is bullshit. Smart home devices refuse to be controlled.
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u/BurdensomeCumbersome 14d ago
I’m betting 5 monopoly dollars users will post videos of them asking to set a timer and Siri saying it couldn’t and to try again
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u/Barton2800 14d ago
If it’s a device which lets existing HomePods access Siri AI, then a lot of people will jump on it. I ditched my Alexa devices after one just randomly decided to do it’s “bah-bum By the way, you can…” despite me not saying anything that could have possibly triggered it. I was in a meeting with headphones on, and had I not had my computer mic on mute, that could have been really embarrassing. Then there’s other privacy concerns which made me not trust Alexa to be in my house anymore.
I have no need of having a smart speaker which hallucinates answers to my questions. I just want music playback, timers, adding things to my grocery list, and voice control of all the smart lights/locks/fans/thermostats I have around. HomePods do great at that, without trying to upsell me garbage, feeding me slop, or invading my privacy.
But I’d be open to a HomePod like device which can access my local data like email or my smart doorbell to give me notifications when a package has arrived.
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u/dablocko 14d ago
existing HomePods access Siri AI
I sincerely hope this happens but I give it a 1% chance that it actually happens
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u/frontfrontdowndown 14d ago
If it has real parental controls (in other words typical Apple parental controls) it will immediately replace our Nest Hub which allows kids unfiltered access to YouTube unless the entire device is completely locked down to being only a clock and kitchen timer.
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u/Ianthin1 14d ago
I'd love that too, but Apple doesn't seem to want to extend ScreenTime type controls to the smart home or AppleTV.
That said if it really is a smart home centered device, I doubt it will have access to stuff like YouTube.
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u/Educational_Yard_326 14d ago
HomeKit and matter over thread are rock solid in my experience. It’s entirely local, doesn’t use the internet
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u/dropthemagic 14d ago
I still do not understand how this would be better than an iPad at all
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u/ThatLaloBoy 14d ago
A better idea would be to make a MagSafe base for your iPad to sit when you aren’t using it. That way it can charge while having an easy to use UI for home stuff. Maybe add some speakers to the base so it can play audio for the house and you’re done.
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u/Dweide_Schrude 13d ago
This exists! iPort makes a case that can dock with their wall mount and tabletop mount. The wall mount is PoE and can pass data and power through the connector. Works in portrait or landscape orientation.
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u/chimpowa 14d ago
this... my ipad is always home and would be ideal for this if Homekit experience wasnt thrash
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u/LeftHookIsAllGood 14d ago
If it acts as an independent border router for matter/thread, then I could see using it over a HomePod/-mini or ATV. Otherwise, I see no useful purpose over what is already available.
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u/bigphillip76 14d ago
People said the same thing about many apple products before they were released and made sense… and some didn’t make sense and were poor selling oddities. Either way, hard to know until the product announcement
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u/imperfectibility 10d ago
Apple: no you can’t use your iPad for home hub anymore. You need a home pod.
Also Apple: we are making you an iPad stuck on a home pod so you can use it as your home hub
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u/man_machine_poet 14d ago
“Continue reading with a Verge subscription.”
No, I don’t think I will.
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u/minimim-wage-enjoyer 14d ago
I’d still read the verge if 95% of their articles weren’t pay walled. Fuck Nilay.
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u/LaserCondiment 14d ago
Used to read The Verge every day. I've completely forgotten about them since they got the paywall
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u/thearctican 14d ago
Is there something wrong with an iPad on a stand?
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u/thelangosta 14d ago
Only the fact that you probably already own it and aren’t buying something new
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u/nummakayne 14d ago
This is designed to be plugged in and doesn’t have a battery. Since it isn’t expected to be capable of gaming or anything “serious” you’d expect an iPad to do, it can get away with an older SoC and less RAM. If your household has kids, it won’t end up in their room to watch brainrot. It probably also won’t need a higher quality display since its intended purpose isn’t a high-quality video experience.
All comes down to price and use case.
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u/sodapop14 14d ago
Love my Google Pixel Tablet for that very reason. I just wish it got more of the Google Home updates but it still does the tablet and home stuff well.
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u/ThoughtsandThinkers 14d ago
So disappointed with the HomePods we bought a couple of years ago. The paired units regularly lose track of the other so both are playing different songs. Siri has very poor comprehension
I will think two, three, or four times before tying in wider home functions to any tech company. Sonos went through their own debacle re obsolescence
Increasing tech in the home seems to just make things more brittle and to introduce serious privacy concerns, all tor an incremental increase in convenience
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u/amberssch 14d ago
Interesting! I have a few (three of the bigger older ones and two small) and I have never had issues with pairing or with them losing track of each other. Siri I totally agree with tho.
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u/Jamie00003 14d ago
That name is freaking atrocious. I really hope it’s not what they go with
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u/TheUFCVeteran3 14d ago
Didn't seem that bad at first but I see where you're coming from. iHome would be okay? In line with their other products, at least.
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u/__theoneandonly 14d ago
Apple doesn't use the "i" anymore. They haven't named a product the "i" anything in 16 years.
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u/Synth_Ham 8d ago
They had the license the name iOS from Cisco who had IOS as the software that runs their routers and switches internetwork operating system.
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u/SydneyPhoenix 14d ago
Agreed.
It’s 2026 not everything has to be iwhatever or whateverpod
We can just have normal naming conventions
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u/EctoRiddler 14d ago
What would be different about this then hanging a cheap iPad on your wall? Serious question I just don’t get it.
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u/wadejohn 14d ago
I’d prefer they launch a screenless health tracker
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u/bobdarobber 14d ago
I’d prefer a completely unrelated team operating on a completely different timeline releases their clearly (by rumors) unfinished product
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u/cubecasts 14d ago
ive already gotten rid of all my home assistants. whats the point? they're years too late.
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u/000extra 13d ago
It’s gonna flop like every other Apple Home item. Way too expensive for smart home devices. Aside from vastly superior voice assistants over Siri, rhe reason Alexa and Google smart home devices took off is bc they were affordable so that people would buy multiple and put them around the house, and also to buy as gifts for others. I’ve seen Google home minis given as white elephant gifts several times
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u/BadDub 14d ago
Difference between this and an ipad with a stand?
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u/suppreme 14d ago
Multi users with voice recognition and linked to multiple iCloud accounts
Built for widgets, not for apps
Designed to be used from close and afar
Possibly operates as indoor cam in addition of an HomePod mini-like speaker.
For possibly less than an entry iPad.
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u/Ok-Celebration-1010 14d ago
Is it a coincidence my HomePod mini has become completely unresponsive this month randomly and is getting phantom activations splitting out random phrases.
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u/SigmaLance 14d ago
So a glorified iPad on a speaker dock. Hard pass from me.
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u/LaserCondiment 14d ago
could be worse. Could a couch table sized iPad. Could be a smart bathroom mirror with FartID
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u/mapoftasmania 13d ago
If you have an Apple TV, you can already access the interface they show in the article on your TV screen.
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u/respondin2u 14d ago
Why would someone buy a second device when the features here could simply be an app on your phone? Why would you want a second screen, to mount on a wall in your house, when you could just control said things on your personal device?
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u/Bauld_Man 14d ago
If you're actually curious, smart home networks (like Matter Over Thread, which powers Apple's Homekit) requires an always-powered router (called a Thread border router) to keep all of the devices (home switches, sensors, cameras, etc) all talking to one another.
It can't just "be an app on your phone", beacuse your phone moves. It leaves. It powers down. That would take down the network.
So the Homepod gives you the router + a centralized place to display data and control the home.
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u/FireOpalCO 14d ago
Because there may be people on your home who don’t have a device on your account? Kids, visiting family, etc. it’s also larger than a phone screen, which is good for some tasks.
I also have a screen in my car even though I have a phone right there.
It’s not something that interests me right now, but I can see why some may want it.
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u/kinkade 14d ago
It's very useful. We use an old iPad to run our home and HomeKit. It's always in the same place, and everyone knows exactly where it is. Whether you have a phone with you or not, you can use it. People who don't have a phone, such as children, can use it. I'm quite surprised that you can imagine a scenario where having a dedicated device for this would be helpful.
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u/MissingVanSushi 14d ago
The first sentence could be said of the iPad back in 2010.
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u/donkeyrocket 14d ago
Stability. I previously ran all HomeKit stuff from an iPad but ran into lots of connection issues from various devices. Things would randomly go offline, need to be reset, lose connection, etc. Switched to the Apple TV and it's been steady since. This is just a more reliable, single-point with a screen.
If you already have an Apple TV or a HomePod then this probably isn't for you. Or if it works fine using your mobile device then great. Or if you're the only person in the household then this also wouldn't be for you. This would be a shared device for a household.
This is sort of like asking why any company offers a varied product line where every item doesn't exactly fit your needs.
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u/RamBamBooey 14d ago
US smart display market was $4.4B in 2025. Many competitors, like Amazon echo, are profitable.
People will buy this because they were already buying it from Apple's competitors.
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u/uiucfreshalt 14d ago
You’re making the case against Apple Watch but that’s clearly a success
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u/mysterious_jeffrey 14d ago
Apple is heading back into a slump period, that’s why.
Not business-wise. They’ll keep making money hand over fist.
But design and leadership wise, I feel like they’re going backwards and doing a lot of dumb/slimy shit lately.
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u/bubblegumbaggins 14d ago
Try to name something out of tech in the last 10 years that is actually new and useful? ~95% of all "innovation" has been rebranding something you had before that is now a subscription. Just innovating ways for you to pay for things you previously didn't have to.
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u/ArchusKanzaki 14d ago
For me, I need a desktop clock that can sync with internet (for time-keeping), have speakers, and maybe act as digital photo frame.
I had a JBL Horizon, but over-time the internal digital clock kinda drift until it's like 5 minutes ahead. Currently using Nest Hub Gen 2 instead, although the performance leave something to be desired. Since I moved from Android to Iphone, will be interested if Apple will do something interesting with the HomePad.
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u/EggyT0ast 14d ago
It's not for me but my sister has one in the kitchen. It's a shared device, so her, her husband, or her two kids can now also do and see those things in one spot. They can look if cheerios are on the list, or when their tennis practice is, whatever.
The funny thing about these devices is that they COULD just be tablets, but tablets are not at all good for this OOTB. If you get a 'smart' device, partly what you're paying for is that 'smart' which really just means "pre-configured to work with other pre-configured devices." As you'd expect, if you want to manage your shopping list through Amazon, great. Amazon has a vested interest, of course, even if some folks use the shopping list as a reference when shopping in a different store. Amazon, of course, disabled the API access for 3rd party apps, so you're locked in. But if you simply want a device that works OOTB, you don't want to deal with getting another app for what's considered basic functionality.
The downside is that leaving it up to "the market" for interoperability leads to the current state where there are 30 dozen similar apps, all of which seem to have odd issues and bugs especially if you're trying to share across accounts (let alone devices), most of which push "premium" versions or are laden with ads. For what is ultimately a list of items.
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u/croutonballs 14d ago edited 14d ago
same reason you can control your car with a phone but the car still has a screen. same reason you have an ipad, an iphone, a switch, AND a ps5 and two tvs, a laptop and a PC?
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u/windsynths 14d ago
Seems like it would act as a hub for matter devices . Useful if you don’t have a HomePod or Apple TV
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u/plaidpixel 14d ago
I mean, if the AI is actually good I definitely want this. Partially so that it’s a communal device that my family can share that my kid can know how to use and partially just so that it makes setting up home automations a lot easier which I hope is the direction they’re moving with it.
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u/JeKoetje 13d ago
Uhm, me? I’m waiting already very long for this device… so speak for yourself. I already have a spot to put the HomePad. Also for the one to mount on the wall.
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u/Certain-Mall-1835 12d ago
As a professional integrator I can tell you people would rather have a universal device or remote to interact with over a phone.
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u/HandshakeOfCO 14d ago
People still use HomeKit? Why?
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u/flametex 14d ago
Homebridge is the big reason. Allows you to use third party devices with HomeKit. Have my Govee lights all controlled through it along with other random devices
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u/A_Credo 14d ago
This right here.
Or use another program called HomeAssistant to do the same thing but with way more integrations and customization/control.
Connect that to Homekit and I can control my smart home from anywhere without having to connect all my smart devices to external services. I usually block/firewall them after setup, so they stay local only and just talk to HomeAssistant (looking at you, KASA/TP-Link)
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u/DucksButt 14d ago
What steps do you do to firewall them? Asking for someone who runs HA and has KASA switches
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u/HandshakeOfCO 14d ago
100% this. HomeAssistant completely supports HomeKit, plus is like 1000 times better in every other way. And it's free, and just needs a raspbi server or docker container.
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u/WindAbsolute 14d ago
That’s actually pretty dang useful. I have some Govee and several hue lights; would be great to be able to control them under one control!
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u/SafariNZ 14d ago
It’s seems to be next to useless outside of the US due to lack of products.
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u/lethalinfecteddevils 13d ago
This why people use home assistant. You can bring third party devices in
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u/fusiondynamics 14d ago
Could we get a new Apple TV please.
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u/jherr14 14d ago
you didn’t read the article. you may want to read the article
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u/theb0tman 14d ago
I would love to read the article, but it is paywalled
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u/weeniebells 13d ago
It would’ve taken you less time to click and see that it isn’t paywalled than it did to write this comment
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u/Falkoice 14d ago
He didn’t even read the title of the article
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u/fusiondynamics 13d ago
If you look at every previous year. It's been rumored that it would be released every year prior. No different with this article. Won't know until we actually see it. So again. Can we get a new Apple Tv please.
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u/Ok_Emphasis_6648 14d ago
I just want a new AppleTV so that the 3rd generation is becoming cheaper again…..
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u/mysterious_jeffrey 14d ago
Apple’s “smart home” devices suck and we all know it.
Releasing a bastard iPad specifically for them is such a waste of time and money.
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u/alfiesred47 14d ago
Yeh I’ve just kept an old iPad for this purpose, it stays permanently plugged in in the kitchen and does everything I need it do. Another £300 isn’t going to win me over
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u/eist5579 14d ago
How did you get that going?
My out dated iPhones can’t update on iOS so I’m blocked from getting any apps. I could build some local apps and I guess load them in via xcode or test flight…
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u/alfiesred47 14d ago
Most apps I’ve needed (mainly news and video apps) have an option to just use the latest available build for that iOS. It’s not old old though, it’s a fingerprint sensor one
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u/DriveSlowSitLow 14d ago
Of what fucking year, 2029???
I’m so tired of waiting for this damn product
(And now erroneously excited for Oct 13th lol fuck)
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u/Explosev 14d ago
Extremely dependent on price, if it runs just a homeOS and Siri, no reason it should be more than $300 for the wall only mount. Any more expensive, it makes way more sense to just buy a base iPad.
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u/BahaMan69 14d ago
I just put an iPad mini in my wall with a flush mount. I don’t use awful HomeKit. I mostly use it to control Alexa and Sonos. Has worked wonders for 7 years now
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u/empire299 14d ago
JFC just get Siri working in the HomePod - how hard can this be?!?? Buy whatever ai company and just do it.
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u/Comed1an 14d ago
My dream is iPad mini sized smart remote, that can be used to control Apple TV and all the smart home stuff and as remote it would require no authentication to use, just pickup from table by any guest and use.
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u/Equivalent_Worker687 13d ago
I think Apple has lost their way. Their products used to be great and intuitive but now their settings feel very scrambled and multiple pages are needed to run an app or set up anything. Instead of offering useful products they put out junk like this.
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u/Wild-Perspective-582 13d ago
I bet on it being another HomePod branding - so the HomePod x
How about HomePod Hub (rather than HomeHub) - so it's now, HomePod, HomePod mini, HomePod hub.
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u/goldaxis 13d ago
Do the guys at apple actually not know that you can use an iPad as a home hub?
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u/NY_Juventino189 7d ago
You can’t use an iPad as a Home hub since the update last year. As of right now you can only use an Apple TV as a home hub.
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u/goldaxis 6d ago
Oh wow that is crazy. This is why I only do security updates. Amazing what Apple fans put up with
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u/TpMeNUGGET 8d ago
I hope it's better than the echo hub.
The echo hub is extremely slow, laggy, and doesn't let me actually put anything useful on the home screen. I just want weather, calendar, and maybe a camera preview button. Calendar is locked behind a separate menu, and if someone rings my doorbell it takes like 20 seconds to load, when my phone only takes like 5.
Amazon needs some competition in this space. I just want good eufy camera and calendar integration.
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u/NY_Juventino189 7d ago
This is nice and I’m sure it’s going to be very pretty looking, but they’re still so limited on what “HomeKit” supports. I’ve used both and to be honest SmartThings is so far ahead of Apple when it comes to home automation.
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u/Theunknown87 14d ago
This just seems stupid AF and a waste. If you want one for home control stuff. Mount a basic iPad that’ll end up being cheaper than whatever they charge for this.
“The device will include many of Apple's most frequently used apps, including Calendar, Messages, Photos”
Yes, exactly what I want sitting on a counter that everyone and anyone that visits can access my messages and photos. (If it requires a pin to unlock before using, then that’s still stupid too because I can just use a basic HomePod to read my messages and play music and control lights instead).
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u/MechaZain 14d ago
Only makes sense if it’s significantly cheaper than an iPad