Apple is expected to launch a new Apple TV and a new smart home hub called the HomePad at its Welcome Home event on Tuesday, IOL reported.
The event starts at 3pm South African time. According to IOL, it will be the first Apple TV update in 1,439 days, or just short of four years.
The new streaming box is expected to keep its small, familiar shape. The big change is reported to be inside, with much faster processing.
The current model, the Apple TV 4K third generation, came out in 2022. It runs on the A15 Bionic chip, the same chip used in the iPhone 13 range.
IOL said that chip was already more than a year old when the device launched. This means buyers of the current model are paying for hardware that is nearly five years old.
The new Apple TV is reported to use an A19 or A19 Pro chip. That is the same chip Apple introduced in the iPhone 17 range last year. Industry insiders also expect Apple to raise the base storage on all models.
Local prices have climbed this year. Before price hikes earlier in 2026, the 64GB Apple TV sold for R2,999 at the iStore and the 128GB model for R3,599.
Those same models now cost R4,199 and R5,249. IOL said the new models are expected to cost about the same, but changes in the rand could affect local prices.
The HomePad is expected to be Apple’s first smart home display. It is separate from the company’s HomePod speakers.
Leaks show a 6-inch square screen on a metal arm with a rounded base. IOL said the design looks a lot like the G4 iMac from the early 2000s.
The device is expected to control Apple TVs, MacBooks, HomePods and other smart devices, such as video doorbells and security cameras. Voice commands through Apple’s new Siri AI are expected to be the main way to use it.
Apple will reportedly sell the HomePad as a multi-room device. This means customers would be encouraged to place several units around their home.
The HomePad is expected to cost around $350. IOL said that works out to about R6,000 in South Africa, before local taxes, import duties and shop markups.
A new HomePod mini is also expected at the event. It is reported to bring faster Wi-Fi and better Siri AI features that work with the HomePad.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Technology. Image: IOL Technology. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.