Apple is defending its distribution moat by building one around your home. At 9 a.m. ET, the company will hold a “Welcome Home” event where it is expected to unveil smart-home devices.
Details are scant, with the teaser showing only a catchy tune and someone cross-stitching. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will reveal more about HomeView, a hub for interacting with and directing smart devices at home. It is a big push into a market where Apple has trailed Amazon and Google.
Apple Builds a Moat Around Your Home as AI Rivals Close In
The timing reflects a remarkable few months for consumer hardware. In September, Meta surprised everyone with Charm, an AI device tied to its Muse agent, plus VR glasses that are lighter and cheaper than the Apple Vision Pro.
OpenAI then announced its Dots agent, with a longer-term goal of releasing a device with iPhone designer Jony Ive.
Such hardware matters because tech companies would no longer have to rely on Apple for distribution. The iPhone’s reach is effectively a toll for getting apps to users, which has let Apple avoid heavy AI spending, and investors have rewarded it, with the stock up over 25% this year.
Yet the iPhone Duo has already been overshadowed by AI agent chatter. Meta’s stock is up over 11% in a month, Apple’s just over 2%. Cementing hardware in the home, Apple hopes, adds another hurdle for rivals.
