Apple's rumored HomePad has leaked, and the core detail matters: it is described as functioning like a giant Apple Watch, suggesting a circular or watch-face-style display interface built around watchOS or a derivative of it, not iPadOS or tvOS as previously speculated.
That design choice has real implications. If Apple is building around watchOS conventions rather than tablet conventions, the HomePad is a dedicated ambient display and smart home controller first, a general-purpose screen second. That narrows what it competes with and sharpens what it is actually for.
The full 9to5Mac piece is worth reading for the sourcing on the display size, the software stack, and where this sits in Apple's product roadmap relative to the existing HomePod lineup. The interface paradigm, not the hardware specs, is the story here.
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