Welcome home: Apple teases October 13 event, here is what you can expect

A month after Apple revealed the iPhone 18 Pro series and the iPhone Duo, the company has teased its next event for October 13. The upcoming Apple event has the theme, “Welcome home,” hinting towards new smart home devices from the Cupertino giant.Apple’s SVP of Marketing, Greg Joswiak, shared a clip on X. The clip shows two people creating the retro Apple logo with hand embroidery, with the words “Welcome home. October 13” below. The logo was embroidered with threads, likely referring to the universal home standard Thread used by smart home devices. But this is likely going to be an Apple "experience" similar to when the company launched the MacBook Neo earlier this year, instead of an Apple event. The company is also said to have sent invites to select media outlets. Going by details shared online, the Apple experience is expected to start at 9 am ET, or 6:30 pm IST, on October 13 in New York City. With just a few days to go, here is everything you can expect from the “Welcome home” Apple event.HomePadThe “Welcome home” tagline for the event is no coincidence. It is expected that Apple will unveil a bunch of new smart home devices, with a new home hub taking centre stage. As per reports, the home hub could be called the “HomePad.” It is expected that the Apple HomePad will feature a 6-inch display. It may arrive in two versions – one designed to be mounted on the wall, and another attached to a speaker base for tabletops. Reports hint that the HomePad will run a version of tvOS that could be called homeOS, with Apple apps and widgets. The HomePad is meant to serve as your central smart home device, allowing you to control other smart home products, manage calendars, and more.The HomePad is also expected to include a camera for video calls and video playback. This may allow you to follow recipes while cooking too. The device may also work with presence sensors, voice and facial recognition. If accurate, the interface of the HomePad may change according to which member of the family is nearby. As per reports, the Apple HomePad may start at $350 (roughly Rs 33,000) in the US.HomePod mini Apple is also expected to refresh the HomePod mini. Reports suggest the design may remain largely unchanged. But you can expect to see a faster processor and the N1 networking chip with support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6. The new HomePod mini is also likely to support the smart home standard Thread. It may also come in new colours, as well as Siri AI features.Apple TV 4KAlongside the two home devices, we may also get a new Apple TV 4K. As per reports, the new Apple TV 4K may get an upgraded chip, more RAM and the same N1 networking chip as the HomePod mini, along with Siri AI features. Some speculation has pointed to either an A19 or A19 Pro processor, with memory options of 8GB or 12GB.Reports have also suggested Apple could unveil LG-linked home accessories, including a video doorbell, thermostat and indoor camera, after renders said to show some of those devices surfaced online. Though it is expected that the LG-branded devices will only go on sale a few months later.While the October 13 event is likely going to show us Apple's new vision for smart homes, the company may be planning a second event for the month too. Rumours indicate that on October 27, the Cupertino giant may also unveil new Macs and an OLED iPad mini.- Ends