Apple’s 2026 Smart Home Screen Revealed: New Details Emerge!

Originally scheduled for release this year, Apple’s first home automation screen has been delayed until next spring to allow Apple time to finalize its new version of Siri, which will be central to homeOS, Apple’s future home-focused operating system. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shares new details this week about the device, code-named J490, and its system internally nicknamed Charismatic (formerly known as Pebble and Rock).

Gurman reports that the design will broadly resemble the Google Nest Hub but will feature a “square-shaped screen with thin black or white bezels and rounded corners.” The display will have a 7-inch diagonal like Google’s model, and it will sit “on a half-dome base, which houses some of the electronics and is perforated around the lower edges to accommodate speakers and microphones.” Gurman adds that the screen could also be mounted on a wall, separate from its base.

The display will indeed include a camera capable of recognizing users as they pass by. The screen display and available content could thus automatically adjust to the people in the room. “The interface mainly focuses on clock faces and widgets, small software features typically dedicated to specific tasks.” The system is designed to support multiple users.

This wouldn’t preclude it from having more advanced features: Mark Gurman mentions web browsing with Safari and video conferencing with FaceTime. “Some versions of the software use circular app icons and display a hexagonal grid. Apple plans to include several of its flagship apps, including the calendar, camera, music, reminders, and note-taking software. However, the interface will primarily rely on voice interaction and widgets, rather than an intuitive interface.” Siri might also get a new visual personality for this release.