Earlier this week, Mark Gurman stated in his weekly Powered On newsletter that he expected Apple to launch an all-new addition to its category of home-related accessories which consist of the Apple TV and HomePod. This upcoming product has been on the rumor mill for years, and it looks like it’s starting to become a reality. Although we don’t have a clue on what Apple would name this product, the supposed ‘HomePad’ is expected to feature a 7-inch display, and Gurman described this home hub as a “smaller and cheaper iPad” for users to perform daily smart home tasks such as controlling other home-connected accessories.

Gurman previously reported that this hub would run a more dedicated “homeOS” operating system that has a more optimized user interface with customizable widgets. More prominently, this hub is expected to take full advantage of both Apple Intelligence and HomeKit as it’s expected to use a more capable chip like the A18 chip from the iPhone 16. Additionally, he expects Apple to develop an indoor camera as a complementary accessory for that device.

We have no word on the exact timeframe for this product, but we could see an introduction as early as this summer or fall.