Apple's new operating system hints at Home Hub plans

Apple is thought to be working on a new operating system that's going to power the anticipated Home Hub, which is expected to launch in late 2026 or 2027.

The move could see a long-awaited push in smart home from Apple, having originally struggled to gain traction through early HomeKit efforts, with slow evolution of devices like the Apple HomePod.

Rumours point to Apple launching a device with a screen - like the Echo Show - which will run the new operating system, thought to be called homeOS.

The details were revealed by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, laying weight to their probability. Accordingly, the interface will use a grid of icons, apps and widgets, with customisable clock faces.

It's expected that Apple's revamped Siri AI will be integrated into the system, bringing a welcome boost to the intelligence offered, and better competition with Alexa+ on Echo devices or Gemini on the new Google Home Speaker.

Additional details of the Apple Home Hub suggest that it will have a 7-inch display (which sounds rather small), while the size of the content will scale up or down depending how far you are from the screen. Amazon calls that Adaptive Content, pulling a similar trick on the Echo Show.

Another element that seems to be inspired by the Amazon Echo is facial recognition to personalise the content. Amazon has a Visual ID system that will see who is looking at the Echo Show and make adjustments for them - for example giving access to their personal calendar.

That at least suggests that there will be multi-user support, something that Apple hasn't always been good at in the past.

The new homeOS is expected on the Apple Home Hub, which is expected to launch alongside refreshed HomePod and Apple TV models, looking like a complete repositioning of Apple's smart home offering.

With Apple it's always difficult to pin down a launch date, but it's being suggested that Apple will target an event after the September launch of the iPhone, perhaps in October. We're also expecting to see a wide update of Mac models at the same time.