In the fourth beta of iOS 26, there's some curious wording for a HomePod setting that references a HomePod with a display, perhaps hinting at a future product that could come out sometime in the not too distant future.
There’s a location-related setting that has the following wording:
Your HomePod won't be able to show you the local weather, time, or respond to Siri requests about your area.
"Show" is an interesting word for Apple to choose, because right now, the HomePod isn't able to show anything like the weather or the time because it doesn’t have a screen to display the information.
There have been multiple rumors of a HomePod with a display over the last few years, and the screen-equipped HomePod may in fact turn out to be the home hub that Apple has in development.
Rumors suggest that the hub will have an iPad-like display, but with a square shape rather than a rectangular shape. It will be able to control all of your HomeKit and Matter devices, plus it will run Apple apps like Weather, Calendar, Apple Music, Photos, Apple News, and more.
Siri integration is expected, with Siri able to answer questions similar to how the HomePod works. In fact, Apple has reportedly delayed the launch of the home hub due to the issues that it has had developing the Apple Intelligence version of Siri.
There's no clear word yet on when the home hub will launch due to the Siri delays, but we could see it late this year or early next year.
