"Welcome home" - Apple event on October 13, 2026

Smart home in the spotlight? Apple event on October 13 - Instead of Macs, Apple appears set to unveil Apple TV and more this October

Apple has officially announced its event for October 13. The “Welcome home” theme clearly points to the smart home: the HomePad, a new Apple TV 4K, and the HomePod mini 2 are expected. The event starts in New York at 3 p.m. German time; whether there will be a livestream remains unclear.

Jan Gruber (translated by Jan Gruber), Published 10/08/2026 🇩🇪

It is now official: Apple has sent out invitations for Tuesday, October 13. Marketing chief Greg Joswiak posted a short teaser video on X with the theme “Welcome home”. Meanwhile, journalists have received invitations to an “Apple Experience” in Tribeca, New York, as 9to5Mac reports. The event starts at 9 a.m. local time, or 3 p.m. in Germany.

The theme leaves little room for interpretation. For days, October 13 has been considered the date for Apple's smart home reboot, and “Welcome home” at least confirms the direction Apple is taking. The main products expected are the HomePad, Apple's long-awaited smart home hub with a display, alongside a new Apple TV 4K and the HomePod mini 2. The HomePad is reportedly coming in two variants, while code in the tvOS 27.2 beta suggests that the Apple TV will be able to pair with up to four HomePods as a surround sound system. Apple has not confirmed any of this so far.

Smart home with a partner

It will be interesting to see whether the accessories Apple reportedly developed together with LG also play a role. According to Bloomberg, these include a doorbell, a smart lock, and a thermostat, and leaked images already show the devices. LG is reportedly set to sell them under its own brand, but not for another few months; whether they will get a showcase as early as Tuesday remains unclear. For a company that usually prefers to build everything itself, this would be a remarkable step – and an admission that HomeKit cannot get far enough with just the HomePod and Apple TV.

The format remains unclear. An “Experience” in New York sounds more like hands-on sessions for the press than a traditional keynote from Apple Park. It is not yet known whether Apple will livestream the presentation.

And what about the Macs? If the reports are to be believed, a second event will follow around two weeks later with new laptops, including the MacBook Pro with an OLED display. October 13 will therefore be entirely devoted to the home – and the question of whether Apple will finally deliver there after years of unfinished work on HomeKit.