Apple Smart Home Hub postponed after talk of earlier delay

In December, reports emerged that Apple had delayed its alternative to Google's Nest Hub series and the Amazon Echo Show 8 (curr. $149.99 on Amazon). At the time, Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the so-called Apple Smart Home Hub would not be arriving in Q1 2025, as had been claimed by Mark Gurman as late as November 2024.

Instead, Kuo suggested that Apple had pushed the device's release by at least another six months. Nonetheless, the analyst asserted that Apple hoped to ship at least 500,000 units before the end of the year, or 1 million units if the Smart Home Hub surpassed initial expectations.

Now, Mark Gurman writes that the project has been delayed again pending the finalisation of new Siri features. For context, these features included personal context awareness and an overhaul of Siri's conversation mode.

While the Siri project is in stasis, an internal testing team is said to have been established to test the Smart Home Hub at home. However, with it still being unclear when these vaunted Siri upgrades will arrive, Apple has effectively put the entire Smart Home Hub project on hold for the time being.