Apple Delays $350 Smart Home Hub to 2027 as Rivals Lock In $20 Monthly Model
Updated
Updated · forkast.news · Sep 20
Apple Delays $350 Smart Home Hub to 2027 as Rivals Lock In $20 Monthly Model
1 articles · Updated · forkast.news · Sep 20
Summary
September 9 passed without any Apple smart-home announcement, underscoring a category stall as its rumored Command Center hub slipped again to late 2026 or early 2027.
Apple’s delays stem from friction between Apple Intelligence and its privacy-first, on-device approach, leaving conversational HomePod control and a broader home strategy still unfinished.
Competitors moved faster this month: Meta launched Muse on September 8, added a macOS app on September 17 and opened its connector platform on September 18, while Google pushed Home MCP early access on September 16.
A roughly $20-a-month subscription model is becoming the sector’s new baseline, shifting smart homes from one-time hardware sales toward recurring AI services.
MCP has also emerged as the interoperability standard across Amazon, Google, Sonos and Home Assistant, raising the risk that Apple’s home ecosystem is sidelined as John Ternus takes over.