Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” on Wednesday featured plenty of callouts to AI, with Apple envisioning its iPhone and the new foldable iPhone Duo as “personal hubs” where artificial intelligence is everywhere, especially the new Siri AI. But one major announcement was notably missing, and it’s especially frustrating for smart home fans.
Throughout 2026, I’ve heard reports from publications citing Apple insiders that the delayed Apple smart home push was finally — no, really this time — coming during the Apple fall event. Most importantly, the rumors said Apple was ready to unleash a smart home display, similar to Amazon Echo Shows but with a unique, versatile design and updated features like facial recognition. Reports mentioned several installation options, including wall mounting or a pivoting smart display that could let Siri watch different faces in turn.
With Siri AI early access debuting throughout this year, and Apple talking about new Apple Home features like video descriptions for security cameras, the smart display seemed like a done deal for this fall. But no. Apple didn’t show a hint of any Siri home display. I don’t think the Apple Home app got even a second of screen time for this event.
The closest we’ll get to any kind of Apple display is the new iPhone Duo, which can be tented to resemble something sort of like a smart display, showing calendars or an alarm clock, but it’s a far cry from a fully independent device made to take up permanent residence in a kitchen, shelf or bedside table. And while it may be the “largest iPhone display we’ve ever designed,” according to Apple, at $1,999, the Duo is exponentially more expensive than today’s smart displays.
Ginormous pricing aside, the foldable Duo isn’t big enough to take over my favorite roles for a smart display, like serving as a second TV screen while you’re busy, and its speakers certainly can’t compare with the room-filling options most home displays come with these days. Siri AI also doesn’t appear set up to display conversations, food orders and video at a command like Alexa Plus can — although that remains to be tested.
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Why didn’t we see Apple’s home display device?
My first thought is that the iPhone Duo already took enough work to prep for this event, and Siri AI (available in beta when OS 27 drops on Monday) may not be quite ready for a home screen the way Alexa Plus is. With the Duo playing so many different roles, Apple may be watching its performance and popularity carefully before deciding if and how to move into smart displays. Ditto for Siri AI, which, as I mentioned, may not be ready for the many integrations other AI voice assistants currently offer.
Since RAMageddon and other trends are pushing device prices higher and higher right now, Apple may also be leery of releasing a new device at a price that almost surely wouldn’t compete with top-rated competitor models. Remember, that was one complaint people had about the original Apple HomePod smart speaker, which launched at $349, way above the smart speakers of the day, and eventually led to the more reasonably priced HomePod mini.
Apple’s reaping some advantages by waiting so long to get into the AI game, but those delays also invite risk. A smart space occupied by Echo Shows, Nest Hubs and smart calendars for years could be challenging to enter, which may be another reason Apple is weighing its options here.
But Apple may also be saving its home display for a different reveal. We are expecting more news about the iPad mini, potentially in October. I don’t think this is likely, especially since a standalone display would be a new category for Apple, and it would prefer to announce that with more fanfare.
As for me, I can’t wait for an Apple smart display to finally — if ever — launch. Not only are these some of my favorite devices to test, but I think Apple could make its display refreshing and useful, including connections to Apple TV shows, an easy FaceTime experience and easy handoffs when switching from iPhone or iPad to a more central display. But time will, once again, have to tell on those specifics.
