Originally published at: Apple Announces “Welcome Home” Product Launch for 13 October 2026 - TidBITS
Apple has announced a special product launch for 13 October 2026. Unlike its typical keynote events, this seems likely to be a coordinated drop of a video and press releases rather than a live presentation. I guess I know what I’ll be doing next Tuesday—hopefully along with getting the cast off my right hand.
The announcement came from Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing, featuring an embroidered rainbow Apple logo and the tagline “Welcome home.” YouTuber Marques Brownlee and presumably other influencers have been invited to an “Apple Experience” at Apple’s Tribeca building in New York at 9 AM Eastern. Jason Snell suggests that some members of the traditional press will get remote briefings.
The star of the show is expected to be Apple’s long-anticipated touchscreen home hub, which the rumor mill has dubbed “HomePad.” We’ll see if that name is accurate, and whether the company comes up with a better name for the operating system powering it than “HomePod Software”—homeOS, perhaps? Apple is also expected to announce updated versions of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, both with more capable processors that will support Siri AI.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg also suggests that Apple may introduce a suite of LG-made smart home accessories including a doorbell, smart lock, and thermostat. That feels weird to me, but Apple has done small things like this before, and it could indicate that new CEO John Ternus is changing how Apple does things.