According to DIGITIMES' observation, Apple did not announce any smart home products at its latest launch event. However, the new generation of iPhones will still support Thread, indicating that Apple does not intend to be absent from the smart home field.
In contrast, Google, one of Apple's main competitors, announced Gemini for Home and launched three smart home hardware products in October. On the other hand, the Matter standard released version 1.4.2, which, in addition to supporting Wi-Fi-only mode, also enhances security and cross-device interoperability.
The smart home industry originally predicted that Apple would unveil smart home products at its September 2025 launch event. However, perhaps due to the delayed development of the generative AI version of Siri, Apple's new batch of smart home products is expected to be delayed until 2026-2027. The smart speaker HomePod mini 2 could be the only Apple smart home product launched in 2025.
No new smart home products at Apple 2025 event; only plans for Thread support
Gemini for Home launched, driving new phase for Google smart home
Chart 2: Google smart home products launched in October 2025
Chart 4: Major updates in Matter 1.4.2 apart from security features
Smart home market stays quiet before leaping; GenAI era fast approaching
