Gurman: Apple Delays Smart Home Hub, Developing AirPods with Cameras and Planning VisionOS 3 Update

Highlights

• Apple has delayed the launch of its smart home hub to improve Siri and address related issues.
• The device relies on new Siri capabilities expected with iOS 18.4.
• Apple is developing AirPods with built-in cameras for enhanced spatial awareness and AI-powered features.
• The brand is working on a major visionOS 3 update, which is expected to debut at WWDC later this year.

Apple’s much-anticipated smart home hub, also referred to as the “HomePad,” has hit a delay. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his recent Power On, the product was originally slated for a March launch, but Apple has pushed back the timeline as it works on improving Siri.

Even before the recent Siri-related issues, the home hub was already at risk of missing its rumored release window. That’s because it depends on Apple’s new App Intent features for Siri, which were initially expected to roll out alongside iOS 18.4 in April.

Now, Apple has officially confirmed that many of its Siri upgrades will take longer than expected. In a statement to Daring Fireball, the company said, “We’ve also been working on a more personalized Siri, giving it more awareness of your personal context, as well as the ability to take action for you within and across your apps. It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year.”

Gurman has suggested that Apple might even need to rethink its entire approach to Siri and Apple Intelligence, which could mean further delays. He reports, “At one point, the company had hoped to announce this product in March. But because the device, to an extent, relies on the delayed Siri capabilities, it has been postponed as well.”

While disappointing, the delay makes sense as Apple clearly wants Siri to be in top shape before launching a new product that heavily relies on it.

Apple Employees Are Already Testing the Smart Home Hub

Despite the delay, Apple has started an internal testing program, allowing select employees to take the smart home hub home and provide feedback. This helps the company iron out any flaws before an official release.

The device is rumoured to feature a 7-inch square display with thick bezels, a camera at the top for video calls, a built-in rechargeable battery, Smart home controls, homeOS and Apple Intelligence integration. It will most likely get a new Apple operating system and focus on video applications like FaceTime. The device will also support various Apple apps, have a dashboard inspired by StandBy mode.

Apple Developing AirPods With Built-In Cameras

Gurman also reports that Apple is working on a new version of AirPods with integrated cameras, though they likely won’t debut in the upcoming AirPods Pro 3. Gurman says Apple is actively developing this technology as part of its broader AI push.

Apple is looking to enhance AirPods with Visual Intelligence, a feature introduced with the iPhone 16. This tool helps users interact with their surroundings by offering contextual information. For example, you can scan an event flyer and add it to your calendar or use AI-powered tools like ChatGPT to learn more about what you’re seeing.

Gurman explains, “Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro that uses external cameras and artificial intelligence to understand the outside world and provide information to the user. This would essentially be the smart glasses path—but without actual glasses.”

With this integration, users could ask Siri about their surroundings without even pulling out their iPhone. It’s Apple’s way of exploring AI-powered wearables without jumping straight into AR glasses.

Previously, we have had supply chain analyst Ming Chi Kuo revealing that Apple is most likely planning on integrating these cameras with other products. The cameras might be designed for better spatial awareness for Apple Vision Pro audio features.

Kuo wrote, “The new AirPods is expected to be used with Vision Pro and future Apple headsets to enhance the user experience of spatial audio and strengthen the spatial computing ecosystem. For example, when a user is watching a video with Vision Pro and wearing this new AirPods, if users turn their heads to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to enhance the spatial audio/computing experience.”

In any case, Bloomberg report suggests Apple is not planning to release this tech before 2027. The report says, “Into 2027, the team is considering launching smart glasses on par with the Meta Ray-Bans, as well as AirPods with cameras. The idea is to salvage the billions of dollars spent on the Vision Pro’s visual intelligence technology, which can scan the environment around a user and supply useful data.”

Apple Plans Feature-Packed visionOS 3 Update

Apple might not release a second-gen Vision Pro in 2025, but it’s making up for it with a big software update. Gurman reports that visionOS 3 will be a major release, expected to debut at WWDC later this year.

A next-gen Vision Pro with an updated M-series chip is in development, along with more affordable versions of the headset. However, none of these products will arrive in 2025, which means Apple’s current headset will continue running on the M2 chip from 2022 for a while longer.

Upcoming VisionOS 3 – What’s New?

While details are still scarce, Apple has already introduced some major updates in visionOS 2.4 beta, including Apple Intelligence support, a new Vision Pro app for iPhone and Spatial Gallery.

The visionOS 3 update is expected to bring even more features, though Apple hasn’t shared specifics yet. Gurman writes, “All signs are pointing to the company’s Vision Products Group shifting its resources to other form factors. But Apple can’t just let the Vision Pro die out. It has invested too much and needs to keep churning out the device’s visionOS updates (the third edition will be a pretty feature-packed release, I’m told).”

While new hardware would be exciting, especially if it were cheaper, Apple’s current focus seems to be on strengthening the software experience.

FAQs

Q1. Why has Apple delayed the launch of its smart home hub HomePad?

Answer. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the product was originally slated for a March launch, but Apple has pushed back the timeline as it works on improving Siri.

Q2. What are some rumoured features of Apple’s new smart home hub?

Answer. The device is rumoured to feature a 7-inch square display with thick bezels, a camera at the top for video calls, a built-in rechargeable battery, Smart home controls, homeOS and Apple Intelligence integration. It will most likely get a new Apple operating system and focus on video applications like FaceTime. The device will also support various Apple apps, have a dashboard inspired by StandBy mode.

Q3. When is Apple expected to release AirPods with built-in cameras?

Answer. Bloomberg report suggests Apple is not planning to release this tech before 2027.

Also Read: No Vision Pro 2 Until 2026 as Apple Focuses on Cheaper Headsets; Apple’s Smart Home Hub Might Face Launch Delays as Well

Also Read: Apple Working on Major Siri Upgrade with iOS 19 and macOS 16: Report