Apple Oct 13 Event: Home Hub, HomePod mini 2 & Apple TV 4K

Apple's smart home line is finally getting its update.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple plans to hold an event on Tuesday, October 13 to introduce three devices: an all-new smart home hub with a display, a new HomePod mini and a new Apple TV 4K. Gurman first reported the date on September 30 and confirmed in his October 4 Power On newsletter that Apple is planning a proper event, not just press releases.

All three are built around the new Siri AI assistant. That matters because the current HomePod mini has not changed since 2020 and the current Apple TV 4K since 2022.

Apple has not confirmed the event, the products or any prices. Everything below comes from reporting, not from Apple, unless we say otherwise.

Key dates

Date	What happens
September 30	Bloomberg reports the October 13 target for all three devices
October 4	Gurman confirms Apple plans to hold an event, not only press releases
October 7	Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra event (the week's other big launch)
October 13	Apple event: smart home hub, HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K (reported)
October 23	iPhone Duo goes on sale (confirmed by Apple)

What is reported for each device

	Smart home hub	HomePod mini (new)	Apple TV 4K (new)
Status	All-new product	Update to 2020 model	Update to 2022 model
Screen	About 6-inch square touchscreen (one report says closer to 7 inches)	None	None (plugs into your TV)
Chip	A18 or newer, 8GB RAM reported	Newer chip for Siri AI	A19 or A19 Pro reported, 8–12GB RAM
Wireless	Not reported	Apple N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7, new Ultra Wideband	Apple N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7
Design	Tabletop version on a round metal speaker base with a tilting arm; wall-mounted version with a flat base	Same shape, new green and pink colors	Same box, updated Siri Remote
Camera	Front camera for FaceTime and recognizing who is in front of it	No	No
Software	New homeOS	Siri AI	Siri AI
Reported price	About $349 (Basic Tutorials, citing Gurman) to around $399 (Macworld estimate)	Not reported. Current model is $129	Not reported. Current model is $199 (64GB) / $249 (128GB)

The current prices are from Apple's online store as of October 6. The hub price is not settled: sources we found disagree, so treat the $349 to $399 range as a guess until Apple speaks.

The smart home hub: what it does

This is Apple's first new product category in the home since the original HomePod. Gurman's reporting describes it like this:

Two versions. A countertop model (code-named J490) sits on a round speaker base on a tilting arm, a bit like the old iMac G4. A wall model (J491) has a thinner, flat base. Both run on USB-C power with no battery.
It knows who you are. The hub recognizes household members by voice or with the front camera and shows each person their own calendar, reminders and messages. A guest mode hides personal information, and you can confirm your identity with your iPhone.
Everyday jobs. Control smart home accessories, make FaceTime calls, play music, show photos, and pull up recipes or videos in the kitchen.
New interface. Gurman says it mixes iPad-style apps, Apple Watch-like icons and iPhone-style widgets, with a clock or photo view when idle. The software is reportedly called homeOS.

Think of it as Apple's answer to the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub, built around the Siri AI that was delayed from 2025.

Gurman also says Apple is working on a home security camera and a bigger hub with a 9-inch display on a robotic arm. Neither is expected on October 13.

HomePod mini: why wait a week

The HomePod mini on sale today is the 2020 model with the S5 chip, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Thread and Ultra Wideband. It costs $129 on Apple's store after a price rise earlier this year.

The new model is reported to keep the same design and add:

A newer chip so it can run Siri AI on the device
Apple's N1 wireless chip with Wi-Fi 7
A second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for faster handoff from your iPhone
Better sound (no details yet)
New green and pink colors

If Siri AI only runs on the new chip, the 2020 model will feel old fast. Do not buy one this week.

Apple TV 4K: the first update since 2022

The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic, Wi-Fi 6, HDMI 2.1 and comes in 64GB ($199) and 128GB with Gigabit Ethernet ($249). The new box reportedly keeps the same look and adds:

A19 or A19 Pro chip with 8GB to 12GB of RAM, a big jump for Siri AI and games
Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7
An updated Siri Remote

Streaming and gaming on the current box is still smooth. The reason to wait is Siri AI, plus whatever new tvOS features need the extra memory.

Which should you buy?

You want a kitchen or hallway screen for the whole family: wait for the hub. Nothing else in Apple's line does this. Check the price on October 13 and compare it with the Echo Show and Nest Hub before you commit.
You need a HomePod mini now: wait one week. The new one is reported to have the same price range and Siri AI. If you still want the old one, expect discounts after the event.
Your Apple TV died: the current 64GB model at $199 still works well for streaming. But if you can live without it for a week, wait for the new chip.
You are an Android or Alexa household: Siri AI is the main selling point, and it needs an iPhone to shine. The Echo Show and Nest Hub remain the better fit.
Wait: for almost everyone, that is the answer this week. Apple's event is seven days away.

If you are also deciding on a new iPhone, read our iPhone Duo pre-order guide. The other big event this week is Microsoft's, which we cover in Surface Laptop Ultra vs MacBook Pro 16. To line up any two devices, use our comparison tool.

Other tech news this week

Microsoft holds its Surface Laptop Ultra event on October 7, the first laptop with Nvidia's RTX Spark chip.
vivo launches the X Fold6 foldable in India on October 6, along with the V80 and S2 FE.
Mistral released Mistral Large 4, a one-trillion-parameter open-weight AI model aimed at agent tasks.

Sources

Product image: Apple press materials (current HomePod mini).