We’re not expecting to see Apple’s long-awaited combo speaker and smart home control panel until sometime next year. We’ve been using HomePad as a placeholder name, but a leak back in the summer suggests it may be known as the HomePod Touch.

The form factor is expected to be broadly similar to Amazon’s Echo Show, and the company has just announced smarter versions …
HomePod Touch/HomePad

Suggestions that Apple is working on a HomePod with a built-in display to act as a HomeKit hub have been circulating for literally years now.

Back in 2019, I repurposed an old iPad as a dedicated smart home control screen, so could immediately see the potential for the rumored upcoming device. I felt that StandBy mode in iOS 17 might be pointing in the same direction.

It was initially reported that the device was set to launch in early 2024. Subsequent reports pushed it back to late 2025, and the latest suggestions are for a launch at some point next year. The reason for the delay is most likely because the company wants to launch it with the all-new Siri on board.

Amazon’s smarter Echo Show devices

The Echo Show is available in 8-inch and 11-inch versions. The company says that there are three main areas of improvement in the latest models.