Apple HomeHub – What a merger of iPad and HomePod should offer

Apple has discontinued the original HomePod, but that doesn’t mean the entire line is dead. The HomePod mini is alive and well, and Apple could be developing more smart home devices based on the bones of the original HomePod.

A report of Bloomberg on Monday morning, he suggested that Apple was working on different home devices in various formats – specifically those with monitors and cameras. Apple secretly repeats several versions of potential products before choosing a version to launch.

The report also mentioned that an updated HomePod was expected for 2022, but may have been disabled due to the cancellation of the HomePod.

Since Apple’s entry into the smart speaker market after competitors Amazon, Facebook and Google, there has been speculation about a possible screen HomePod. Monday’s report sparked renewed interest in such a device, so let’s look at what that device can be and what functions it should incorporate to be as wide as possible for as wide an audience as possible.

While we’ll talk more about HomeKit in a moment, in summary, to get the most out of Apple’s home by automating HomeKit, you need a Home Hub. In short, this is a dedicated device, at home, which is the central radius of the wheel that is the smart home. Without a Home Hub, you cannot control HomeKit peripherals outside the home.

Apple sells three categories of devices that can function as a Home Hub – Apple TV, HomePod and iPad. Each of these devices offers an overlapping set of features that would be useful in a single product.

HomePod: great sound, no screen, lots of microphones

Users can control the HomePod to play music, control their home, send messages or provide information by voice. There is no dedicated display for HomePod, but some features can be controlled using devices such as iPhone, iPad or Mac.

The benefits of owning a HomePod include excellent audio and voice commands for HomeKit actions. Apple hoped this would be enough to justify the $ 350 price tag, but in the end it was considered too expensive and had a price cut to $ 299 before its definitive discontinuation in March 2021.

HomePod’s limitations are related to its format. It has no screen, nor can it send content to other screens. In most situations, users would do better to obtain information from Siri on their iPhone, where the data is displayed and can be referenced.

iPad: great screen, few microphones and small speakers

The use of an iPad is usually a suggestion to correct the limitations of the HomePod, but this presents a new set of problems. For example, which family member would log in with their Apple ID, leave it unlocked, or share the password? This concern alone leads to a number of problems related to privacy and security. Creating a fake Apple ID is not always an option, as some families may already have six members.

Like the HomePod, the iPad is great as a Home Hub as it can be placed anywhere. However, due to the portable and personal nature of the iPad, users may not want to have a dedicated iPad restricted to a wall or counter.

The iPad also doesn’t have as many microphones as the full-size HomePod and doesn’t hear alternative voices. There is also the problem of wear of the internal battery or burnt screen. An “Apple HomeHub” desktop device would deal with an always-on screen in software where the iPad does not make these considerations.

Apple could solve the iPad problem by adding multiuser support. This would allow authentication systems like Touch ID or Face ID to work among users of the device. The option to add Apple Watch unlocking to the iPad for family members would require each member to have their watch connected to the iPad.

Apple TV: needs a screen, good media interface, no microphones always available

Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD can function as Home Hubs. They need a TV to display information and can be placed anywhere you want a monitor.

The tvOS software allows multiuser support and simplifies media location. HomeKit is also present here with the integration of HomeKit cameras and scene controls.

Apple TV cannot hear voice commands alone and can only receive voice or ringtone commands through Siri Remote. There are no microphones in the Apple TV hardware.

Users cannot access sensitive data or login information when browsing Apple TV. Only relevant apps are available, and purchases can be hidden behind a password.

Apple could borrow from other products for the ‘HomeHub’ design, such as the Pro Display XDR

Each of Apple’s Home Hubs has strengths and weaknesses based on its form factors. Apple could benefit from offering a new product within the Home Hub category that combines the best of each.

The hybrid “HomeHub” would be similar to the HomePod in that it is a dedicated speaker with excellent sound, has an iPad-like screen and shows applications and data via tvOS.

The current HomePod and HomePod mini run tvOS. This means that they already have the necessary structures to display the tvOS interface, applications and resources.

Apple could add features like iMessage and FaceTime to “HomeHub”. Code was discovered by MacRumors on tvOS showing that Apple added the FaceTime and iMessage frameworks, along with a new AVFCapture framework related to image capture.

After authenticating a specific user using biometrics, password or Apple Watch, the “HomeHub” would allow access to features like FaceTime or iMessage for a given user. Otherwise, the hub will display only HomeKit controls and a screen saver.

All of these things add up to an attractive new device that would compete with similar offers from Amazon and Google.

Apple’s HomeKit is available on all your devices, but it doesn’t have a central hub

A recent report cites home automation control as one of the most significant determinants of smart home monitors, with a forecast of continued growth of more than 30% in the coming years.

Google markets its own smart display under the Nest brand, calling it the Nest Hub. The latest version of the device just launched in March 2021, with even more improvements for the smart home.

Amazon has its own smart display and an army of Alexa-enabled smart displays that work similarly to Alexa-approved smart home devices.

As it stands, there is no smart display available that is capable of controlling HomeKit devices. Some devices, such as Hue lamps, work with Alexa and Google Assistant and Amazon and Google smart displays by extension. Still, devices that support only HomeKit – such as Eve and Logitech devices – are left in the cold.

This creates a gap for HomeKit users, who need to choose between going to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and abandoning HomeKit and Siri or creating their own from an iPad on a stand. But, as we discussed – the basic iPad has below-average speakers and no suitable panel user interface for a home command center.

A suitable Apple smart monitor could embrace control of HomeKit devices, act as a Home Hub, and possibly even open a new category for third-party HomeKit devices.

As a HomeKit Home Hub, it can work similarly to a HomePod or Apple TV. He would be responsible for controlling his HomeKit Secure Video cameras, providing remote access to his devices and acting as an edge router for his Thread devices.

As it stands, third-party devices do not have access to HomeKit camera feeds and are unable to control HomeKit devices outside of limited button support. Ring and August users can have their Brilliant smart wall display on their doorstep. Brilliant can control its Hue lamps, its shade, its Sonos speakers and can even be displayed in the Home app as a button, but it is not able to control specific HomeKit devices.

If Apple explored this route, it could unlock that capability for third-party products, such as Brilliant, and allow them to view their cameras, as well as control their HomeKit devices.

This route would give us a true Apple smart display with full support and control for your HomeKit devices, a live display of your camera images, as well as unlocking new features for third-party HomeKit devices.

Apple Home used to demonstrate the HomePod mini

Apple has not yet given up on the smart home. HomeKit devices are becoming more widely available and the addition of Thread makes things even better.

In 2019, it was reported that Apple was hiring more staff for the HomeKit team. Apple’s product timelines generally extend for about two years, so expect announcements of this renewed initiative soon.

Apple needs to launch new products to compete at home. Be it an “Apple TV 6” or “HomeHub”, something needs to change the customer’s perspective to gain traction in space.

Stay on top of all Apple news directly from your HomePod. Say, “Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider” and you’ll get the latest AppleInsider podcast. Or ask your HomePod mini “AppleInsider Daily” and you will hear a quick update directly from our news team. And, if you’re interested in Apple-centric home automation, say “Hey, Siri, play HomeKit Insider” and you’ll hear our newest specialized podcast in no time.