Forget everything you thought you knew about what a smart home display should look like. According to 9to5Mac, code buried inside the latest macOS 26.7 beta suggests Apple’s HomePad won’t just be a screen with Siri on it. It’s shaping up to be something genuinely different, and the Apple Watch comparison isn’t a stretch at all.
The big find here comes from Engadget’s Filipe Espósito, who dug into the beta code and pulled out some real detail. The HomePad will likely run a variant of tvOS under the hood, which makes sense given Apple’s home product lineup. But the interface is where things get interesting. The home screen is built around something called “Faces” and a “Face Gallery.” Sound familiar? That’s basically the Apple Watch face system, just scaled way up. You can customize these faces with widgets and Smart Stacks, which means the display will actually shift and show you different information throughout the day depending on what’s relevant. That’s not a dumb screen. That’s a thoughtful one.
There’s also a privacy feature that’s worth paying attention to. The HomePad will only show your personal information on-screen if it detects your iPhone is nearby. So guests hanging out in your living room won’t accidentally catch a glimpse of your calendar or messages. It’s a small detail, but it shows Apple is thinking about this product for shared spaces, not just private bedrooms.
The same beta code also references a new HomePod mini, a security camera, a next-generation Siri remote, and a new Apple TV 4K. So Apple is clearly gearing up for a pretty significant push into the home category. That’s a big deal because this space has been dominated by Amazon and Google for years, and Apple has been frustratingly slow to compete seriously.
Two HomePad versions are expected:
- A speaker-base model that resembles a traditional HomePod
- A wall-mounted version for a more permanent home setup
The wall-mount option in particular could position this thing as a real kitchen or hallway hub. And if Apple folds in smart doorbell support, which the code hints may be coming, this whole ecosystem starts to look a lot more complete. Apple is late to this party, but if the HomePad actually delivers on what this code suggests, it might be worth the wait.