Apple is expected to launch a dedicated smart home hub next month, according to a new report.
PCMag reports that the device is being positioned as a central landing pad for controlling connected devices around the house. The hub is expected to arrive next month, though Apple has not confirmed a release date, price, or official name. Details beyond its basic purpose are still thin, and there's more to learn before launch. Apple itself has said nothing publicly about the product.
A dedicated hub would put Apple in territory Amazon and Google have occupied for years with their own smart-home displays and voice assistants. For Apple, it could mean less reliance on the iPhone or Apple TV as the go-between for HomeKit devices, and a clearer product to point developers toward when they build for the smart home.
Rumors are easy to ship on time; hardware isn't. Until Apple actually announces something, the safest assumption is that specifics - what it looks like, what it costs, what it's called - are still up for grabs.