At 9 PM Beijing time on October 13, Apple (AAPL) will hold its "Welcome Home" launch event, with three smart home products set to debut at once.

Among them, the all-new smart home hub HomeView is the star of the show, equipped with a touchscreen and paired with devices such as a doorbell and thermostat. In addition, Apple (AAPL) will also unveil the HomePod mini 2 and a new-generation Apple TV 4K, upgrading its existing product lineup.

A major highlight of this launch is the rollout of AI features. HomeView will center on an upgraded version of Siri, while the HomePod mini 2 and the new Apple TV 4K are also expected to receive processor upgrades, providing stronger hardware support for voice interaction, AI applications, and smart home device control. Apple (AAPL) hopes to integrate AI capabilities into its existing product ecosystem rather than simply releasing a few new devices.

The new smart home products are only part of Apple's (AAPL) recent product offensive. Later this month, the company plans to launch a touchscreen MacBook and a new iPad mini, while the foldable iPhone Duo will open for pre-orders this Friday. However, whether the expanded product lineup can translate into sustained revenue growth remains to be tested by the market.

HomeView: Apple Expands Its Smart Home Product Line

HomeView is the core product in Apple's (AAPL) smart home push this time.

According to reports, the device features a roughly 6-inch square touchscreen, with a body thickness similar to that of an iPhone, adopting a rounded-corner design and narrow bezels. The desktop version comes with a circular metal base, built-in speaker and microphone, and supports the screen via a metal arm, with a design inspired by the classic iMac G4; the wall-mounted version uses a thinner base and also has a built-in speaker and microphone. The desktop version is said to come in four colors—silver, space gray, starlight, and rose pink—while the wall-mounted version will be available in space gray and silver.

The upgraded Siri AI will be the main feature of HomeView. Reports say the device will run a new operating system that blends elements of iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS, supporting apps and widgets, but it will not have an App Store and will not allow users to install additional software on their own. The device is continuously powered via a USB-C port, has no battery, and is mainly designed to stay fixed in the home environment.

HomeView will also use facial recognition technology to identify family members, but its capabilities differ from traditional Face ID; the front camera also supports FaceTime video calls.

Apple (AAPL) also plans to launch a special AI sensor camera as a companion device. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman said on a podcast that the device, codenamed J450, does not record regular video but instead analyzes the home environment at an extremely low frame rate, with a design approach that balances environmental awareness and privacy protection. According to reports, Apple (AAPL) is also developing a follow-up product codenamed J595, which is planned to include a robotic arm so the screen can rotate to follow the user's movement.

HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K: Hardware Upgrades Serve AI Features

The HomePod mini 2 will be the first substantive upgrade for the lineup since its launch in 2020.

The new model is expected to retain the original spherical design and mesh casing, while adding colors such as pink and green. Internal hardware is also expected to be upgraded, with the chip potentially switching from the S5 used in the original to a newer Apple Watch processor, with potential options including the S10, to improve the device's ability to handle AI features and audio tasks.

In addition, the new model is reported to feature Apple's (AAPL) N1 wireless networking chip, supporting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and to adopt a second-generation ultra-wideband chip to improve the music handoff experience with the iPhone.

The new-generation Apple TV 4K is also expected to receive processor and memory upgrades. The current product uses the A15 Bionic chip, while the new model may switch to the A19 and add more memory to support Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features. The new model is likewise expected to feature the N1 chip, supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and the Thread protocol, further strengthening its role in Apple's (AAPL) smart home ecosystem.

The remote may also see adjustments. According to reports, the new Siri Remote will have a built-in speaker and support Find My location tracking, while the Apple TV 4K itself may add a microphone, allowing users to wake Siri without picking up the remote.

On pricing, Apple (AAPL) previously raised the HomePod mini price from $99 to $129, and the current Apple TV 4K starts at $199. Pricing for the new products has not yet been clarified, and whether the hardware upgrades will lead to further price increases remains to be seen. According to reports, the two products are expected to begin shipping on October 30, with pre-orders opening this week.

Under High Valuation, Whether New Products Can Drive Growth Remains to Be Seen

According to Bloomberg, Apple's (AAPL) revenue for the current fiscal year (ending September 30) is expected to grow 15% year over year, but growth is expected to slow to 10% in fiscal 2027 and further to 7.8% in fiscal 2028. Bloomberg Intelligence data shows that revenue growth for the S&P 500 information technology sector is also expected to decline from 37% in 2026 to 29% in 2027. With growth expectations slowing, Apple (AAPL) needs to prove that its new products can bring incremental gains to its existing business.

The market has mixed views on the growth potential of Apple's (AAPL) new products.

Peter Andersen, chief investment officer at Andersen Capital Management, believes that for a company like Apple (AAPL), only sufficiently attractive new products can clearly drive growth. He said it is still uncertain whether the upcoming products can bring significant changes in growth. The smart home market already has established competitors, and consumer spending is under pressure, which also increases the difficulty for Apple (AAPL) to expand into new businesses.

Lu Zhang, founder and managing partner of Fusion Fund, takes a positive view of Apple's (AAPL) long-term prospects. She believes the first generation of smart home products may contribute only limitedly to Apple's (AAPL) overall revenue, and whether the foldable iPhone Duo can drive large-scale device replacements also remains to be seen.

However, she noted that after AI companies launch new models, they still need to use Apple's (AAPL) hardware and ecosystem to reach users, giving Apple (AAPL) a certain advantage in distribution channels. In her view, as long as Apple (AAPL) can continue to launch competitive hardware products, its high valuation can still be supported.