The operating system of Apple's smart Home Hub will allegedly echo the design of watchOS, and the same source says we'll see MagSafe on the device.
After saying that the long-awaited smart Home Hub has been pushed back to the fall of 2026, which was corroborated by a separate report, leaker and prototype collector Kosutami now has more to say about the device.
The leaker has, via X, once again said the product would be able to "snap to a Hub-HomePod like device and your wall."
Speaking to AppleInsider, Kosutami explains that Apple tested two stand revisions — one that looks like the hemisphere-shaped base of the iMac G4, and another base that more closely resembles the existing HomePod.
That's not the only HomePod-based component Apple might reuse, either. The leaker says in a social media post that Apple's new Home Hub product will "share the same interface design" with the HomePod B290 prototypes, which featured a screen on top of the HomePod enclosure.
Regarding the design of the user interface itself, Kosutami says the software will resemble watchOS. It's been rumored that the Home Hub software will feature circular icons, much like those on the Apple Watch, so the claim makes sense.
Additionally, the leaker claims Apple's Home Hub will support Apple Intelligence features, which further aligns with prior rumors. Supposedly, the Home Hub was delayed to late 2026 because the new Apple Intelligence-powered Siri isn't quite ready.
Kosutami often details prototypes, but not everything makes it to release
Long-time AppleInsider readers are likely familiar with the work of Kosutami. They often share device revisions that never made it to mass production. Now and then, though, they chime in with an accurate leak.
Before an Apple product reaches store shelves, it goes through a multitude of prototype stages, covering both hardware and software. Along the way, features and designs get altered, delayed or scrapped entirely, with a particularly noteworthy example being Apple's Bongo project.
Kosutami has shared, for instance, an alternate bezel design for the Apple Silicon version of the iMac, and has detailed unreleased connectors for the Apple Watch.
Many of the things Kosutami shared, however, did end up reaching consumers, even if later than rumored. Back in February 2025, the leaker claimed the AirTag 2 would be released in May or June of that year. However, the product only debuted in January 2026.
That aside, Kosutami accurately stated that the iPhone 15 would receive USB-C and that the iPad mini 7 would debut in the fall of 2024.
One of their more impressive leaks had to do with the FineWoven bands for the Apple Watch. Kosutami managed to source and share an image of the design before the bands were announced by Apple.
More recently, however, Kosutami has stuck to claims about the Home Hub device and the long-rumored camera-equipped AirPods. We'll have to see if the final products match the leaker's claims, or if Apple decides to swap something out along the way.
