Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter published today confirms it: new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini hardware are nearly ready to ship. Both devices have been finished since last year — employees at Apple's Cupertino campus have been using them internally. The reason they haven't shipped yet is Siri. Apple held the hardware back until its revamped AI-powered Siri was reliable enough to justify the launch.
That moment arrives in September with iOS 27. The hardware follows.
Key Points
- Mark Gurman confirmed new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini hardware is "nearly ready" — both devices have been finished for months and are in active use at Apple's headquarters
- Apple TV 4K upgrades from A15 to A17 Pro with 8GB RAM — the minimum chip Apple makes that supports Apple Intelligence locally — plus a new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread smart home hub support
- HomePod mini upgrades from S5 to S9 — a red color option expected alongside the standard colors — S9 cannot run Apple Intelligence locally, so AI features will rely on cloud processing
- A full-sized HomePod refresh is also expected alongside both devices — Gurman confirmed "yes" to a new HomePod when asked directly
- Gurman's exact words: "Don't expect much from the Apple TV box other than an updated chip" — both devices are chip-focused refreshes timed to launch with iOS 27 in September
Why These Devices Have Been Sitting in a Warehouse Since 2025
The Apple TV 4K hasn't been updated since October 2022. The HomePod mini — setting aside color additions — hasn't changed since October 2020. Both were ready to ship. Apple chose not to ship them.
Gurman's reporting makes the reason explicit: both devices were designed specifically to showcase Apple's revamped Siri and Apple Intelligence features. Launching smart home AI hardware before the AI software was reliable enough would have undermined the entire pitch. Siri kept slipping — from iOS 26.4 to iOS 26.5 to iOS 27 — and the hardware waited every time.
iOS 27 ships in September. The hardware ships with it.
The A17 Pro Is the Key to Local AI
The current Apple TV runs an A15 chip — capable for streaming but unable to run Apple Intelligence. The A17 Pro changes that. It's the oldest chip Apple makes that supports on-device Apple Intelligence processing — meaning Siri requests on the new Apple TV can run locally without sending data to a server.
The N1 networking chip alongside it brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support — repositioning the Apple TV from a premium streaming box to a capable smart home hub that Matter-compatible accessories can connect to directly.
The HomePod Mini Trade-Off
The S9 upgrade on the HomePod mini brings it in line with Apple Watch Series 9 processing power — a significant step up from the six-year-old S5 it currently runs. But the S9 cannot process Apple Intelligence locally. Any AI features on the new HomePod mini will route to Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure.
A new red color option is expected alongside the existing color choices — the first color addition to the HomePod mini lineup in over a year.
When to Expect Them
WWDC on June 8 previews iOS 27, tvOS 27, and HomePod software. Stable software ships in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. The Apple TV and HomePod mini are expected to be available by then — finally completing a product cycle that started being prepared two years ago.
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