Apple’s upcoming smart home plans may have just become a little clearer, with the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate containing references to several unreleased Apple products.
While the software includes identifiers first spotted by MacRumors linked to future iPhones, iPads, AirPods and Macs, some of the most interesting discoveries relate to Apple Home.
The code includes references to Apple’s long-rumoured Home Hub, what appears to be a next-generation HomePod mini, a possible Apple security camera, homeOS and several currently unidentified home accessories.
Apple Home Hub – J490 and J491
References to Siri setup have been discovered for a home accessory identified as J490, a codename previously associated with Apple’s upcoming smart home hub.
There is also a reference to both J490 and J491, potentially supporting reports that Apple is developing two configurations of the device.
J490 is believed to be the version designed to sit on a base, while J491 could be a version designed for wall mounting.
The Home Hub is expected to become a central part of Apple’s future smart home strategy, combining smart home controls, Siri and Apple Intelligence into a dedicated home device.
HomePod mini 2 – B525
The code also contains a reference to a product with the codename B525.
This is particularly interesting because the existing HomePod mini carries the internal identifier B520, making B525 a strong candidate for the long-awaited HomePod mini 2.
A reference indicates that something called “Argentium” has been installed on the B525 device, although exactly what Argentium represents is currently unclear.
Possible Apple Home Camera – J229
Another potentially significant discovery is J229Architecture.
J229 isn’t entirely new. The identifier previously appeared in iOS 26 code last December, when Macworld reported that the device appeared capable of using multiple sensors, detecting alarm sounds and capturing images.
Those capabilities make J229 particularly interesting given previous reports that Apple is developing its own smart home security camera.
It is therefore possible that J229 represents Apple’s first dedicated Home camera, although the code doesn’t confirm the purpose of the device and it could instead be another accessory designed to work alongside Apple’s new Home Hub.
homeOS Appears Again
There is also another reference to “Pebble.”
Bloomberg has previously reported that Pebble is Apple’s internal codename for homeOS, the operating system expected to power Apple’s new Home Hub.
Its continued appearance in Apple’s software adds further evidence that homeOS is being actively developed alongside the new hardware.
Two More Mystery Home Devices
The release candidate also references two previously unidentified devices:
HomeAccessory17,2 and HomeAccessory17,3
At the moment, there isn’t enough information in the code to determine exactly what these products are.
They could relate to different versions of the Home Hub, additional Apple Home hardware, or entirely new accessories that have yet to be reported.
Four New Apple Home Colours
Perhaps one of the more interesting discoveries is a set of four colours associated with an unreleased home accessory:
- Rose Pink
- Silver
- Space Gray
- Starlight
It’s currently unclear which product these colours belong to.
However, they could potentially be associated with the HomePod mini 2, Apple’s Home Hub or another upcoming Apple Home product.
Visual Reasoning for an Audio Accessory
Finally, the code contains a string labelled audio_accessory_visual_reasoning.
There isn’t enough information to know exactly how Apple intends to use this feature, but the reference to visual reasoning is notable.
It could potentially relate to the Home Hub and its expected Apple Intelligence capabilities, or indicate that future Apple Home hardware will be able to interpret visual information from cameras or other sensors.
Apple’s Home Hardware Plans Are Starting to Take Shape
None of these references confirm Apple’s final product names, specifications or launch plans. Internal identifiers can also refer to prototypes or products that never ultimately reach consumers.
But taken together, the discoveries provide another glimpse at the scale of Apple’s work on the smart home.
We now potentially have references to a Home Hub, HomePod mini 2, Apple security camera, homeOS and additional unidentified home accessories all appearing within Apple’s software.
With Siri and Apple Intelligence expected to play a much larger role in Apple Home, the hardware required to deliver that experience increasingly appears to be taking shape.
