Friday December 12th, 2025

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This week, more talk of the HomePad, Apple makes clear their F1 plans, Studio Display 2 rumours, and iOS 26.2 is around the corner...

Apple's HomePad Just Got Very Real

If you've been following the rumours about Apple's smart home hub over the past year or so, you'll know it's been one of those products that always seems to be just around the corner but never quite arrives. Well, it turns out that corner might finally be in sight.

Leaked internal code from a pre-release build of iOS 26, spotted by Macworld, has revealed some genuinely interesting details about what Apple has been working on behind closed doors. The device, which some people are calling the HomePad (though Apple almost certainly won't), carries the internal codename J490, and the code suggests this thing is a lot further along than many of us realised.

On paper, the HomePad sits somewhere between an iPad and a HomePod. It's expected to have a square display, built-in speakers, and the ability to control your smart home accessories, make FaceTime calls, and serve as a central hub for shared family information. In other words, it's Apple's answer to the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub.

What makes this leak particularly interesting is the detail. The HomePad will be powered by the A18 chip, the same processor inside the iPhone 16. That means it'll have more than enough power to run Apple Intelligence features, including the long-promised overhaul of Siri that's been delayed for what feels like an eternity.

The front-facing camera will be an ultra-wide lens with Center Stage, the feature that automatically keeps you in frame during video calls. But the camera isn't just there for FaceTime. The code also references Face ID, and it looks like the HomePad will identify who's standing in front of it. That opens up the possibility of a true multi-user experience, where the HomePad automatically switches between profiles depending on who's interacting with it. If you walk up, it shows your calendar. If your partner walks up, it shows theirs.

The code indicates that the HomePad is labelled internally as a 2026 device, with a spring launch rumoured for quite some time now. That timing makes sense, as the updated Siri is expected to arrive with iOS 26.4, likely in March or April. If the HomePad launches around the same time, it gives Apple a perfect opportunity to show off the new Siri experience on a device that's purpose-built for it.

But the HomePad might not be arriving alone. The same code leak revealed references to another mysterious product, codenamed J229. This one is identified as an accessory rather than a standalone device, and it has multiple sensors, the ability to detect alarm sounds, and a built-in camera. Based on previous reporting from Bloomberg, the most likely candidate is Apple's long-rumoured security camera.

For years, Apple has been oddly quiet in the smart home space. The HomePod and HomePod mini are solid products, but they've never really challenged Amazon or Google in the way AirPods reshaped the headphone market. The HomePad feels like Apple's attempt to change that, to finally build a product that makes the smart home feel less like a collection of disconnected gadgets and more like a unified system.

If the spring launch rumours hold true, we might not have to wait much longer to see if Apple can pull it off.

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Why I'm Genuinely Jealous of American F1 Fans Right Now

I'll be honest, comparing how we watch F1 in the UK versus how Americans watch it isn't something that normally crosses my mind. The thought just doesn't come up. But after seeing what Apple has lined up for F1 fans in the US next season, I'm suddenly paying very close attention, and I'm not particularly happy about what I've found.

Apple released a preview this week of how Formula 1 will look on Apple TV when they take over as the exclusive US broadcaster from March 2026. And it's not just a standard broadcast. They're including onboard driver cameras, full Multiview support, and access to the entire F1.TV experience, all bundled into a standard Apple TV subscription at $12.99 per month. No extra fees, no upsells, just everything.

Let me put that in perspective. Here in the UK, we're paying Sky Sports a premium for F1 coverage, and while the commentary is excellent, the overall package feels increasingly dated. You want onboard cameras? That'll require fiddling about with separate apps or screens. You want to watch multiple feeds at once? Good luck setting that up smoothly during a race. And you're certainly paying a lot more than the equivalent of $13 a month for the privilege.

Apple's approach looks genuinely impressive. The Multiview feature will let you watch the main race feed, onboard cameras from different drivers, and live data streams all at the same time on your Apple TV, iPad, or Vision Pro. That's the kind of control that hardcore fans have been asking for, and it's being delivered as standard, not as some expensive add-on buried behind another paywall.

What makes this even more frustrating is that American fans will also get full access to F1.TV using their Apple TV login. That means every archived race, every additional camera angle, every bit of telemetry and timing data that used to require a separate subscription is now just part of the package. In the US, F1.TV used to cost extra on top of your broadcast subscription. Now it's simply included. Meanwhile, over here, we're still juggling multiple services and paying more for less flexibility.

Apple has also promised more production details and product enhancements in the coming months, which suggests they're not finished yet. Given Apple's track record with polished interfaces and seamless integration across devices, it's hard not to imagine they'll continue adding features that make Sky's offering look even more old-fashioned by comparison.

Now, to be fair to Sky, they've been the home of F1 in the UK for years, and their presenting team is genuinely brilliant. But the platform itself hasn't evolved much, and when you see what Apple is doing with the US broadcast, it's impossible not to wonder why we're stuck with a more limited experience for significantly more money.

The real kicker is the price. $12.99 a month is roughly £10. For that, American viewers get every practice session, every qualifying round, every sprint, every race, plus onboard cameras, Multiview, and F1.TV access. Compare that to what we're paying for Sky Sports, and it's genuinely difficult to justify the difference.

I'm not naive enough to think Apple will suddenly swoop in and rescue UK viewers from Sky's grip. Broadcast rights are complicated, contracts run for years, and Sky has no incentive to change a formula that's been working for them financially. But watching Apple build what looks like the best F1 viewing experience available anywhere, and knowing it's only available to fans across the Atlantic, is a tough pill to swallow.

For now, all I can do is hope that Sky is paying attention. If Apple sets a new standard for how F1 should be watched, it's going to be very hard for other broadcasters to ignore. Until then, I'll just be sitting here, paying more for less, and quietly seething every time I see an American fan tweet about their Multiview setup.

The Studio Display Refresh We've Been Waiting For

Apple's Studio Display has been sitting on the sidelines since March 2022, and for a monitor that costs £1,499, it's starting to show its age. The 60Hz refresh rate feels sluggish compared to modern MacBooks, there's no HDR support, and the overall experience just doesn't match what you'd expect from a premium Apple product in 2025.

That's about to change. Leaked code from an internal pre-release build of iOS 26, spotted by Macworld, has revealed that a second-generation Studio Display is finally on the way, and it looks like Apple is addressing almost every complaint people have had about the original.

The new display, carrying the internal codename J527, will feature 120Hz ProMotion, bringing it in line with the MacBook Pro and making everything from scrolling to video playback feel noticeably smoother. More importantly, the code confirms HDR support, which is a massive upgrade. The current Studio Display is limited to 600 nits of brightness and SDR only, but if Apple goes with Mini-LED backlighting (which the code strongly suggests), we're looking at sustained brightness of 1,000 nits and HDR peaks of up to 1,600 nits, just like the MacBook Pro.

The third upgrade is a new A19 chip, replacing the ancient A13 that's been sitting inside the original. It's not clear yet what the faster processor will enable, but given Apple's track record with integrating silicon into displays, it could mean improved Center Stage performance, better audio processing, or even new features we haven't seen yet.

Apple is reportedly targeting a 2026 launch, most likely in the first half of the year alongside the M5 Mac Studio. That timing makes sense, as it would give Apple the opportunity to show off the new display alongside updated Mac hardware and position it as the perfect pairing for professionals who need a bit more power.

The Studio Display has always been caught in an awkward spot. At £1,499, it's too expensive to feel like a prosumer display, but it's not quite pro-grade enough to justify the price when you compare it to the Pro Display XDR at nearly £5,000. If the rumoured upgrades are accurate, the second-generation model could finally strike the right balance, offering genuinely professional features without the eye-watering cost of Apple's flagship monitor.

For now, if you've been holding off on buying a Studio Display because it felt outdated, it looks like your patience is about to pay off.

iOS 26.2 Landing This Week

Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to the public this week, likely between Monday and Wednesday, following the usual pattern for December point updates. The release candidate arrived last week, which typically means the full launch is just days away.

This update brings some genuinely useful tweaks. There's a new Liquid Glass slider for the lock screen that gives you much finer control over how transparent or frosted the clock appears, offline lyrics for Apple Music so you can view song lyrics even without an internet connection, and a clever new one-time AirDrop code feature that lets you share files with strangers without enabling "Everyone" mode system-wide.

Apple has also recalibrated the Sleep Score ranges on Apple Watch to be a bit more realistic, and added alarm support to Reminders so urgent tasks actually sound an alert rather than just showing a notification.

I've got a full walkthrough video ready to go on the channel once the update drops, so keep an eye out for that if you want to see everything in detail.

Tip of the week

Did you know, that if you've ever used an emoji, and chosen a skin colour, you can choose a different skin colour (or reset back to the original yellow) just by long-pressing on the emoji? (Note that this won't work if you tap on an emoji in your frequently used section, it has to be in the main menu).