Apple Welcome Home Event: I Want the HomePad, but I Am Scared of Siri

The Apple Welcome Home event is set for Tuesday, October 13. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing, teased it with a short video, and press invites went out for an “Apple Experience” in Tribeca, New York, at 9:00 a.m. ET. As reported by Ryan Christoffel at 9to5Mac, Apple is expected to launch several new home products the same day.

I have four HomePod minis at home, smart bulbs and a smart TV, and I have been waiting for this event for a long time. But honestly, I am excited and worried at the same time.

In this article: What to expect at the Apple Welcome Home event · My four HomePod minis: great, until they are not · HomePad price: I am not sure anymore · Siri AI is the real risk · Is Apple late to the smart home? · LG locks and cameras: smart, not weak · An Apple Watch interface on the HomePad · Why no big keynote? · What would make me say “wow” · FAQ

What to expect at the Apple Welcome Home event

Based on reports from 9to5Mac, AppleInsider and Tom’s Guide, these are the products most likely to show up:

• HomePad (working name): a home hub with a display, either on a speaker base or mounted on the wall, with an Apple Watch-style interface of faces and complications, a FaceTime camera and control of the whole Apple Home.
• HomePod mini 2: same design, new chip, Siri AI, new Powder Pink and Forest Green colors, plus a surround mode and Party Mode.
• Apple TV 4K: A19 or A19 Pro chip, Apple’s N1 networking chip, more memory and Siri AI. Maybe a new Siri Remote.
• LG accessories: a smart lock, indoor and outdoor cameras and a floodlight camera co-developed with Apple.

Apple’s own security cameras are not expected until 2027, which I covered in Apple home security camera. The OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro is reportedly coming in a separate launch on October 27. For the first reports about the date, see Apple event October 13.

My four HomePod minis: great, until they are not

When I bought my HomePod minis, they were a great thing. But like every Apple product, they were expensive for such small speakers at the time.

What annoys me lately is that sometimes all four do not work together. Sometimes one of them just disconnects and drops out. I have been waiting for a new version, so we will see what Apple shows on October 13. If you want to know more about the new speaker features, see HomePod surround sound and Party Mode.

HomePad price: I am not sure anymore

Will I buy the HomePad on day one? Right now I have to be careful. Before, I wrote that it probably will not be an expensive device. But after the latest news from analysts, I am a bit scared. Apple raised prices on Macs, iPads and more this year because of a component shortage, so I am not sure what a home hub will cost now.

And then there is how Apple sells Siri AI right now, as a must-have. I can only hope that Siri AI on a smart home device will be tuned better, and will not be as dumb as it works now on iPhone and iPad. For God’s sake, that would be really embarrassing. I would not want a smart home that freezes for a few minutes when you control it by voice.

Siri AI is the real risk

In my opinion, Siri AI is a big disappointment at a time when AI is moving so fast. You buy an expensive Apple device, the ads tell you that you have the smartest thing in your pocket, and then you find out that Siri is probably the dumbest AI on the market right now. I tested it in my Siri app review, and I do not want the same thing to happen in the smart home. I hope Apple reads the reviews of Siri and fixes it before the presentation.

The new Apple TV 4K is the same story. Apple is pushing Siri AI everywhere this year, and I feel it is mostly marketing. In two years they did not put it together properly, and that worries me. It is not a wow feature. There are already very strong AI players on the market. Who will use Siri AI as a real AI? Apple talks a lot, but shows only a few basic things that almost every phone can already do. I see that more as a step back than a step forward.

I have an old Apple TV that I barely use, and I covered the upgrade rumors in new Apple TV 4K. Siri AI alone is not a reason for me to upgrade.

Is Apple late to the smart home?

Amazon and Google have had smart displays for years. But for me, being late is not the real question. That is how Apple has always behaved. They come to the market late, even when competitors have had the product for years. But history shows that when Apple comes late with the same idea, it brings it close to perfect, and then that product or form factor becomes mainstream. We know that what Apple gives us usually has stability that works excellently.

It is true that Google and Amazon have had smart displays for years, but that does not mean they are that successful. When Apple comes, it can change the rules of the game. The only problem is that after everything that has happened lately with iPhone 18 and one problem after another, I am not sure what will come and how well it will work.

LG locks and cameras: smart, not weak

Apple working with LG on locks and cameras is definitely not a weakness. Look at any Apple gadget, and you will find that half of the parts inside come from other companies. Apple does not make everything itself, quite the opposite. But it knows how to work with partners. What I like is that Apple is smart enough to say it out loud: we take the best our partners have, and we bring it to perfection. More on that in Apple home hub and LG accessories.

An Apple Watch interface on the HomePad

Why not? In my opinion, Apple Watch has a beautiful interface, and getting it on a bigger home display is something I am all for. I wear an Apple Watch Series 12, and I like how the screen with all the apps looks. I think it must look great on a big display, especially if Apple Watch faces come to the new HomePad.

The HomePad should also recognize who is standing in front of it and show that person’s calendar and notifications. I think people have nothing to worry about here. It is a great feature if it knows who is in front of it and shows exactly what it should show that person. My only question is how it will work. Will everyone in the household have their own account in the smart home? How will it know who is there?

As for data leaving the house, I do not think so. By that logic, we should be scared of the iPhone too. That is more speculation. A company that builds so much on data security will not allow that, and it knows how sensitive smart home data is. I am very sure Apple has this figured out.

Why no big keynote?

Apple is doing a press “Apple Experience” instead of a big keynote. Maybe it sees that this is enough for these products. Or these products simply do not have enough wow effect for the kind of presentation Apple does for its top gadgets. My bet is that Apple knows it cannot build a big show around them when the only real story is Siri AI again.

What would make me say “wow”

The real wow will be if these products come at a reasonable price. Because I am afraid that not only will there be no wow effect, but with all the parts getting more expensive, the “wow” will be how expensive everything is.

Featured photo: SimonWaldherr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Apple Welcome Home event: FAQ

When is the Apple Welcome Home event?

Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. ET, as a press “Apple Experience” in Tribeca, New York.

What will Apple announce on October 13?

Reports expect a HomePad home hub, HomePod mini 2, a new Apple TV 4K and LG-made smart home accessories.

What is the Apple HomePad?

A rumored home hub with a display, an Apple Watch-style interface, a FaceTime camera and control of Apple Home devices.

Will the new MacBook Pro launch at the Welcome Home event?

No. The OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro is reportedly coming on October 27.

How much will the HomePad cost?

Apple has not announced a price. Apple raised prices on several products this year because of a component shortage.

Sources: 9to5Mac (Ryan Christoffel), AppleInsider, Tom’s Guide.

Our Take

Apple has always come late and still changed the rules. The smart home could be next.

But this time everything stands on Siri AI, and in my opinion Siri is not ready yet. A smart home that freezes when you talk to it would be embarrassing.

Give us a Siri that works and a fair price. That would be the real wow.