Apple has long rumored to work on a smart home control tablet that many have called “HomePad.” The device will reportedly contain a new interface that allows users to control their smart home accessories, see relevant data such as the temperature and the weather, FaceTime their contacts and more. It does not have an app store, it is said, but will include target-controlled Apple apps and services.
While the company typically does not recognize -published projects in public, the new food section changes in the Apple News app and other iOS 18.4 all except that Homepad is on the way.
The UIs have it
For those who are unknown, iOS and iPados 18.4 (currently in Beta) are introducing a new food department in the Apple News app for news+ subscribers. The tab highlights nutrition -related news, dietary recommendations and other food -related articles. More importantly, it integrates a comprehensive recipe catalog that lets you see the ingredients and cooking guidance without having to jump through fluff and back story, typically bundled with online recipes.
When I entered the recipe catalog on my iPad for the first time, I was immediately hit by its user interface. The tab has gigantic buttons with noticeably large touch dimensions not seen in other native iPad apps. It feels like an experimental sneak peek from Homepad’s interface rather than software specifically designed for iPad.
After the start of a random recipe, the steps were shown in tremendous typography on my iPad. The text is massive and I could easily read it from all over the room. It is almost as if the user interface belongs to a product you would mount on a wall or rest on the counter, not a tablet you hold in your hands.
Foundry
The well -thought -out view is not limited to large elements. When you follow a recipe, you can quickly start a timer by hitting that duration in the directions. This takes the Clock app and Siri out of the process and makes it a one-tap function-perfect when you follow a recipe. The implementation is invaluable to chefs; When your hands are covered with messy ingredients, you can effortlessly press the display with your wrist, crack or nose to start a timer.
Baking in the frames
In addition to the user-facing food section, the latest betas of iOS, iPados and TVOS 18.4 include a few tweaks under the hood, which further points to an impending HomePad launch. From Tvos, the latest prerelease builds the Building Chatkit frame that handles some iMessage features. Given that Apple TVs and HomePods do not offer the Messages app, it’s almost certain that the implementation is designed for HomePad. After all, Smart Home Hub is likely to run a changed version of Tvos that unlocks in iOS-like features that are not available on Apple TV, such as SMS.
Similarly, iOS 18.4 introduces a fresh cooking kit frame that could add more recipe-related system level features. So, for example, users may be able to search for a particular recipe by searching for an ingredient in Spotlight. This proves that the food section of Apple News is not just a minor addition that the company will later neglect. It is building a whole system around what potentially commits to serious development and upgrades in the coming years. Once again, this suggests that Homepad is on the horizon as its help in the kitchen is expected to be one of its most important sales outlets.
Foundry
IOS 18.4 Beta also refers to a new home category in Apple’s product lineup, which further indicates that the HomePad release is just around the corner.
Spicing Up Siri
With iOS 18.4 Beta, Apple also added a wealth of new actions to the shortcut app that gave users granular control over system apps and lays the foundation for a large SIRI update. When Apple’s virtual assistant adopts the new app purposes, users will be able to fully control apps via voting commands. This will tie well with Apple News’ food section on the home as you can probably get Siri to initiate the bundled timers and roll through the steps instead of awkwardly tapping with your nose when your hands are occupied or go to the wall where it is mounted.
The new Siri will play a big role in the home as it probably relys on hands -free input. In its current form, Siri is not smart or powerful enough to run a device like HomePad, but an updated version is on the way. It was to be launched in the spring, but now that the big Siri upgrades have been pushed back to “the coming year”, Apple is likely to delay the home as well. Homepad should coincide with a time when Apple can at least promise that the new Siri “will come soon”, which means an autumn release at the earliest.
Foundry
Something is coming
iOS 18.4 proves that Homepad is no longer just a theoretical device or prototype that lies in a secret Apple cellar. The company’s latest software updates share as-to-concrete evidence that the project is actively built and its release can realistically follow before the end of the year.
Earlier rumors pointed to a spring release, but the recent Siri delays may have bumped it back to later in the year. A spring launch would now mean that HomePad does not include the warmly expected SIRI features, and it is unlikely to happen. In addition, Apple is expected to introduce the largest design and interface overhaul this year, with iOS 19 and MacOS 16 being released in the fall. The new design, which will reportedly streamline interface across devices, could debut in HomePad, but with the Siri delays it makes more sense to launch the home closer when iOS 19 arrives.
In addition to the Food Section in Apple News, the specific framework in iOS and Tvos as well as the statement about the Home Device in the Code category reveals that Homepad’s first official preview is approaching. One option is a WWDC reveal in June with shipping in the fall. Apple could also reveal Homepad at its iPhone event in September (although iPhone 17 seems to be a bigger than usual launch). Or maybe Apple is holding a dedicated smart home event in October in the castle, which is usually reserved for Macs.
But every time it arrives, thanks to iOS 18.4 we know one thing for sure: Apple is working on something big.