Apple will unveil a smart home hub called HomeView on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman reports the device finally has a name and a release date, ending a long stretch of unconfirmed reporting about Apple's smart home plans. Over the past couple of years, multiple reports have suggested Apple was building a dedicated hub to tie together HomeKit, Siri, and its growing lineup of connected-home accessories. Tuesday's announcement, per Gurman, would mark the first time Apple has confirmed specifics rather than leaving the project to speculation. Apple has not commented publicly on the product.
Apple has dabbled in the smart home for years through HomePod and Apple TV, but both were built primarily as a speaker and a streaming box, with home control functioning more as an add-on than the main job. A hub pitched as a dedicated home-control device is a different bet, and a more direct answer to Amazon's Echo and Google's Nest lineup.
Whether HomeView changes anything depends entirely on what Apple actually ships Tuesday - a name and a date are not a product.