Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub may not come in just one shade of aluminum. According to a new leak reported on October 2, 2026, the device — expected to debut on October 13 alongside a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV — could arrive in four finishes: Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, and Rose Pink.
The claim comes from X user pdfu, whose findings were covered by MacRumors‘ Joe Rossignol. If accurate, it would make the hub one of Apple’s most color-diverse smart home products to date, matching the color-first approach Apple has taken with the HomePod mini and recent iPhone lineups.
How the Colors Were Discovered
The leak’s evidence comes from the hub’s own setup software. According to pdfu, the device’s “Photo Face” setup screen selects its preview artwork based on the hardware color the unit reports — and the four finishes that showed up are Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, and Rose Pink. The housing itself may also appear in setup screens once Apple’s device assets are fully in place.
This is not the first time these colors have surfaced. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris reportedly found the same four finishes in J490 setup code inside the macOS 26.7 Release Candidate back in August, where they were initially described as “mystery colors.” The new finding ties those code references directly to the upcoming Home device, lending the rumor real weight.
The One Contradiction Worth Noting
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman — the most consistent source on this product’s development — has described the hub’s iMac G4-style design but referred only to a standard gray aluminum finish, without mentioning Silver, Starlight, or Rose Pink. Apple has not officially confirmed the colors, the October 13 timing, or final design details. As with all pre-announcement leaks, the color story could still change before launch.
What We Know About the Hub Itself
The device, reportedly code-named J490 for the tabletop version (with a wall-mounted variant code-named J491), is expected to feature a roughly 6-inch square display. The countertop model is said to use a polished metal arm attached to a round metal base with perforated speaker holes — a layout repeatedly compared to the 2002 iMac G4. A single FaceTime camera sits on the front, with microphones and speakers in the base.
Other reported hardware details:
- USB-C power with no internal battery and no physical buttons
- An A18 chip or newer to run Apple Intelligence and the rebuilt Siri AI
- A virtual white ring light that illuminates users approaching in low light
- Voice and facial recognition to identify household members
The recognition system is central to the product’s pitch. According to reports, the hub can identify who is looking at the display — by voice or appearance — and show that person’s own calendar, messages, and contacts. If recognition fails, an iPhone can provide secondary authentication. A visitor or guest mode hides personal information from guests, addressing the privacy concern that comes with a shared family display.
Photo Face: The Feature Behind the Leak
The leak is tied to a feature Apple reportedly calls “Photo Face.” Users can create a Photo Face on the hub, with Apple’s preview art corresponding to the device’s hardware color — consistent with the setup behavior pdfu described.
The same Photo Face feature is expected to reach StandBy on the iPhone Duo and requires iCloud Photos. During setup, an iPhone can send a few full-resolution photos so the face can appear immediately while the rest download from iCloud. In other words, the color detection is a functional part of setup personalization, not a cosmetic detail — which is exactly why it may have exposed Apple’s finish lineup ahead of schedule.
The Bigger October 13 Picture
Rossignol reports that Apple plans to unveil the hub on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, as part of a broader smart home push that also includes a new HomePod mini and an updated Apple TV. All three products are built around Siri AI, Apple’s rebuilt voice assistant, which began rolling out in beta on September 14 in English, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish expected to follow.
The HomePod mini is said to keep its current design while gaining a newer chip, improved sound quality, Apple’s N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and Siri AI support. It is also expected in new pink and green colors.
The Apple TV 4K would get a new chip (likely the A19 or A19 Pro), increased memory — 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB — for Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, plus the N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, alongside an updated Siri Remote.
A Long Road to This Moment
The hub was originally planned for spring 2025, but delays in rebuilding Siri pushed it to fall 2025, then spring 2026, and now the reported October window. With Siri AI now shipping on existing Apple devices, the dependency that caused every prior delay has finally cleared. Apple news watchers will recall that Gurman confirmed before September’s iPhone event that the hub would not appear on stage that day — but stressed October remained the target.
Why Colors Matter for a Smart Home Display
A smart display lives in the open — on a kitchen counter or a living room wall — where it becomes part of the decor. Echo Show and Nest Hub devices have offered multiple finishes for years, and Apple knows the trick: color options turn a utilitarian gadget into a lifestyle object. Four finishes, if true, would signal that Apple expects the hub to sell on looks as much as on Siri AI’s capabilities, and to appeal to buyers who have previously chosen between Apple’s Starlight and Midnight Mac accessories.
Looking further out, Bloomberg has separately reported that Apple is developing a premium 9-inch hub mounted on a 360-degree robotic arm, an advanced in-home security camera, and a refreshed full-size HomePod — suggesting the October 13 launch is only the opening move of a much larger smart home offensive.
For now, the October 13 date, the colors, and the design remain unconfirmed by Apple. But with code references, setup-screen behavior, and months of consistent reporting all pointing in the same direction, the smart home hub looks closer to reality than at any point in its long, delayed history.