Apple Readies homeOS and a 6-7-inch Smart Home Display

According to an exclusive Bloomberg report, Apple engineers are in the final stages of developing a new operating system designed specifically for managing smart-home devices. Trademark filings tied to intermediary firms suggest the software will likely be called homeOS and will operate alongside macOS and visionOS.

HomeOS is described as a new platform built from elements of iOS, watchOS and tvOS and intended as the software backbone for a dedicated home hub.

The report says the core software has been shaped around a purpose-built device long rumored in tech circles: a square 6 or 7 inch display combined with a powerful speaker similar to the HomePod. That device's home screen will host app icons, interactive widgets and customizable watch-style faces.

Embedded face-recognition sensors would let the device identify the person standing in front of it and surface data tailored to that individual. Interface elements are said to resize automatically as people move closer or farther from the screen, keeping information readable at different distances. Support for multiple simultaneous user accounts is intended to simplify family management.

At the center of the experience will be a new Siri AI model, which Apple describes as enabling more advanced conversational interactions and handling more complex voice commands than the current assistant.

Several apps are expected to be preinstalled on the device to cover everyday needs: an interactive voice app driven by Siri AI, integrated FaceTime for calls, a HomeKit hub for monitoring and controlling devices and cameras, Calendar, Reminders and Notes, plus media services such as Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple News. The system will also include a dynamic photo gallery and a home security monitoring interface.

Unconfirmed reports say Apple may unveil the first homeOS-equipped hub at a fall event, using the launch to lay out a broader vision for on-device home AI.