Reports last month said that Apple would introduce a wall-mountable smart display for the home as soon as March 2025. The device would look like an iPad, though it would be smaller than the iPad mini. It would run a new homeOS operating system that would feature elements from watchOS and iOS.
Those reports already gave us an idea of how Apple’s smart display will work, but the software experience might not be ready for a March launch. That’s what Ming-Chi Kuo said in a new note, indicating that the smart display’s release date was postponed to the second half of 2025.
Kuo wrote on Medium that the “display-equiped HomePod” mass production had been delayed multiple times.
Apple supposedly wanted to release it in 2024 but postponed it to the first quarter of 2025. More recently, Apple moved the smart display’s release to after WWDC 2025 or to the third quarter of 2025.
“The delay in production is mainly due to software development,” Kuo said without offering specifics.
Kuo did mention some of the smart display’s specs, which are in line with previous reports. The display-equipped Homepod should feature an A18 processor and a 6-inch to 7-inch screen. That A18 chip means the smart display will support Apple Intelligence. Previous reports also said that Apple Intelligence will be available on the device.
Kuo also says the smart display will “emphasize smart home functionalities more.” That’s what other reports have also claimed. The smart display will act as the central hub of the smart home, allowing users to control various features and devices from a single place.
The analyst also reiterated that Apple will make a smart home surveillance camera in 2026. The camera will eventually connect to the smart display wirelessly.
Kuo estimates that Apple will sell about 500,000 units in the second half of 2025. If the smart display becomes popular, annual shipments could reach million-unit levels. In a separate report, Kuo identified BYD Electronic and Tianma Microelectronics as the main beneficiaries of Apple’s orders for the smart display.
The only thing missing from these reports is the price of Apple’s home display. It’ll be interesting to see how much Apple will charge for a device that will essentially be a smaller iPad for the home.
