Apple is preparing a significant hardware refresh for its smart home lineup. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, next-generation versions of both the Apple TV and HomePod mini are scheduled to launch this fall. Both devices are set to receive essential chip upgrades, and the Apple TV might also ship with a redesigned or updated Siri Remote.
The release of these refreshed smart home products has reportedly faced lengthy delays. Gurman explains that the primary bottleneck was software integration. Both the new Apple TV and HomePod mini were designed from the ground up to support Apple’s upcoming AI ecosystem—collectively known as Apple Intelligence—as well as a much smarter, completely overhauled Siri. Following several development setbacks and scheduling shifts, Apple is finally on track to roll out these advanced AI features alongside the new hardware in Autumn 2026.
While Gurman’s report does not explicitly name the specific silicon being used, industry expectations point to significant upgrades. The next-generation Apple TV chip upgrade will likely see a jump from the current A15 Bionic to the much more powerful A17 Pro processor, which powered the iPhone 15 Pro series. Meanwhile, the budget-friendly HomePod mini is expected to transition from its aging S5 package to the modern S9 chip found in the Apple Watch Series 9.
This performance gap will dictate how both devices process artificial intelligence. The high-performance A17 Pro silicon contains a robust Neural Engine capable of running Apple Intelligence local AI models directly on the Apple TV itself, ensuring rapid response times and private offline processing. In contrast, the smaller S9 chip does not possess the processing power required for complex on-device AI workloads. Consequently, any Apple Intelligence features deployed on the upgraded HomePod mini will likely be powered by secure cloud-based AI models instead.
In terms of physical design, consumers should not expect dramatic changes. Gurman reveals that while the Siri Remote will receive some hardware changes, the Apple TV box itself will retain its highly recognizable compact form factor. This continues Apple’s reliance on a unified industrial design language that has remained largely unchanged since the device was first redesigned in 2010. Even if the updated Siri Remote features new internals or layout changes, the cosmetic differences are expected to be subtle rather than a complete overhaul.
