Apple "HomePad" Smart Home Hub Leak Details A18 Power

Leaked iOS 26 code points to a square-screen hub and J229 camera accessory as the core of Apple’s 2026 smart home push.

Summary

• Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub, codenamed J490 and dubbed the “HomePad,” is a square-screen hybrid of iPad and HomePod powered by an A18 chip
• The hub is designed around Face ID and on-device Apple Intelligence, allowing it to recognize users, switch profiles, and utilize a more conversational, upgraded Siri
• The device is expected to launch in spring 2026 alongside a separate multi-sensor accessory, J229, which is speculated to be Apple’s first smart security camera

Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub, widely dubbed the HomePad, is taking shape in leaked iOS 26 code as a square-screen hybrid of iPad and HomePod designed to live at the center of the home.

The device appears under the codename J490 and is reportedly powered by an A18 chip, pairing a 7-inch-class display with an ultra‑wide 1080p front camera that supports Center Stage for hands-free FaceTime. Face ID and on-device Apple Intelligence are central to the concept, enabling the hub to recognize who is in the room, switch profiles automatically, and tap a more conversational, upgraded Siri for natural voice control.

Leaked code also references a second product, J229, an accessory with multiple sensors, alarm-sound detection, and image capture that industry watchers frame as Apple’s first smart security camera rather than just another HomePod variant.

Both devices are internally tagged for a spring 2026 window tied to iOS 26.4 and the rollout of the new Siri architecture, signaling a coordinated Smart Home 2.0 moment for Apple after years of HomeKit lagging rivals. Together, the HomePad-style hub and J229 camera would finally give Apple’s ecosystem a visual command center and native security hardware, positioning Cupertino to go straight at Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub and Ring on privacy, design and tight OS integration.