Apple reportedly plans three smart-home products for October 13

Apple may introduce a refreshed smart-home lineup on October 13, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports. The products are expected to include a long-rumored home hub, a new HomePod mini and new Apple TV models.

Apple has not said how the products would be presented, although the report points to a possible event. Retail stores have also received confidential boxes labeled “Do Not Open Until October 8”; it remains unclear whether they contain materials for the smart-home introduction or the iPhone Duo launch.

Hub reportedly uses a six-inch display

Gurman says the home hub will have an iMac G4-style design, a square six-inch display, a front-facing FaceTime camera, and microphones and speakers built into its base. It is expected to support either countertop placement or wall mounting.

Possible colors include silver, Space Gray, Starlight and Rose Pink. Leaks also indicate support for customizable Photo Faces drawn from a user’s photo library, memories and shared albums.

iPhone Duo production faces yield issues

The foldable iPhone Duo, expected to launch in October, is reportedly being produced in limited quantities. A source close to Foxconn’s supply chain told China’s Jiemian News that final-assembly yields were only slightly above 60% as of September 17.

The source said the production line could need another six months to a year to reach mature yields under Apple’s current quality standards. Foxconn is reportedly adjusting equipment, assembly procedures and production settings, while suppliers are waiting to see whether Apple will relax any requirements.

Early iPhone 18 Pro users report faults

Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 18 Pro launch, MacRumors forum users are discussing early experiences with the devices. Reported issues include speaker crackling or popping, as well as cellular-connectivity and eSIM-provisioning problems for some iPhone 18 Pro Max users on AT&T in the United States.

Apple considers more frequent launches

Bloomberg’s Gurman also reports that Apple CEO John Ternus is considering a company restructuring after his first month in the role. Possible changes include reducing reliance on the traditional spring and fall release cycles, broadening the device range and launching products more often throughout the year.

Ternus is also reportedly seeking a stronger engineering focus and a more experimental approach as artificial intelligence develops.