On Monday, March 9, 2026, new reports confirmed that Apple has once again delayed its long-rumored smart home hub—code-named J490—by another 18 months. Originally aimed for a spring 2025 release, the device is now not expected to hit shelves until September 2026.
The bottleneck isn’t the hardware, which has reportedly been “finished and ready” for months, but rather the failure to finalize the next-generation Siri overhaul that is meant to serve as the product’s core interface.
Why the Delay? The “Siri Crisis”
Apple’s smart home strategy is now entirely dependent on its AI-powered “chatbot-style” Siri. The product cannot ship without it because the hub lacks a traditional app-heavy interface, relying instead on conversational AI.
- Ongoing Reliability Issues: Internal testing has reportedly shown that the revamped Siri still struggles with “contextual accuracy” and “agentic actions” (performing multi-step tasks within apps).
- Software Realignment: Apple had hoped to debut the full Siri experience in iOS 26.4, but the features were noticeably absent from the beta released last week.
- The New Target: Apple is now aiming to launch the hub alongside iOS 27 and the iPhone 18 lineup in the fall of 2026.
The Hardware: What We Know So Far
Despite the software delays, the technical specifications for the J490 hub are well-documented:
| Feature | Specification |
| Display | 7-inch square touchscreen (roughly the size of two iPhones side-by-side). |
| Form Factor | Can be wall-mounted via MagSafe or attached to a half-dome speaker base (similar to a flat-top HomePod). |
| Interface | Features circular app icons reminiscent of the Apple Watch home screen. |
| Personalization | Uses a camera for facial recognition to automatically display a specific user’s calendar, music, and notes when they walk into the room. |
| Connectivity | Powered via a single USB-C port and featuring the new N1 networking chip for ultra-low latency smart home control. |
The “Robotic” Sibling (2027)
The delay of the entry-level hub has also pushed back Apple’s more ambitious project, code-named J595. This high-end version features a larger 9-inch display mounted on a robotic actuator arm that can tilt and swivel to follow a user during FaceTime calls or security monitoring. This premium device is now penciled in for early-to-mid 2027.
Impact on Other Products
The “Siri bottleneck” has created a domino effect across Apple’s home lineup:
- HomePod mini 2: Likely delayed until late 2026 to ensure it supports the new Siri processing requirements.
- Apple TV 4K (2026): Though hardware-ready with an A18 chip, its launch is reportedly tied to the same AI-feature rollout.
