Apple is once again falling behind on its software and AI ambitions, pushing major product launches like the Smart Home Hub and Personalized Siri into 2026. 
While CEO Tim Cook still enjoys full support from the board, the cracks in Apple’s AI efforts are becoming harder to ignore.
The much-anticipated Smart Home Hub, originally expected to debut earlier this year, has officially been delayed. The culprit? The company’s failure to finalize its Personalized Siri feature, which was supposed to launch with iOS 18.4. Although internally the feature is said to be working well, senior VP Craig Federighi admitted it needs more polish to meet Apple’s high standards before a public rollout.
The delay has a domino effect: without a refined Siri, the Smart Home Hub can’t deliver the seamless user experience Apple is aiming for. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company is betting big on a new App Intents system that would allow Siri to fluidly control both native and third-party apps through voice. Unfortunately, this system is also not ready for primetime.
When it finally launches, Apple’s Smart Home Hub is expected to sport a 6 to 7-inch display, powered by the A18 chip to support Apple Intelligence. It will be mounted on a speaker base and include a top-facing camera for FaceTime calls. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that while the hardware is on track for production by Q3 2025, software challenges remain a serious bottleneck.
Apple’s vision for a fully connected smart home ecosystem is clear, but execution is lagging-highlighting a recurring theme in recent years where hardware leads the charge while software plays catch-up.