Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Tablets
  3. Smart Home
  4. Best Ofs

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The best HomeKit hubs of 2025

Add as a preferred source on Google
A white HomePod mini sitting on a desk.
Apple

Fans of iOS will probably find Apple Home (or HomeKit) to be the best choice for their smart home. Not only does it work smoothly with your iPhone or iPad, but it supports a long list of products — and with Matter compatibility, it can sync with gadgets beyond the ecosystem, too.

However, to get the most out of Apple Home, you'll want to invest in a HomeKit hub. This will serve as the brains of the operation, allowing you to connect other gadgets to the hub for quick access. But when compared to Amazon Alexa and Google Home, your choices for Apple Home hubs are a bit limited. Thankfully, your available options are incredibly high in quality — so while only a handful of choices are available, there should be something that fits your needs.

Here's a look at the best Apple Home hubs of 2025. And be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a possible Apple smart display, which has long been rumored to be in development.

Recommended Videos
apple homepod mini review 12 of
John Velasco / Digital Trends

HomePod mini

Pros
  • Computational audio optimizes the experience
  • Clean-sounding highs and mids
  • Compact size makes it discrete
  • It's the most affordable HomeKit home hub
Cons
  • Siri lacks the advanced intelligence of its competitors
  • Short power cord

Unlike Amazon Alexa and Google Asisstant, you won’t find many smart speakers that play nicely with HomeKit. Thankfully, HomePod mini more than makes up for the dearth of options. It’s available in a wide array of colors and boasts a sleek design that should fit into most households without clashing with your décor. It’s designed to work seamlessly with iPhone and other HomeKit devices, giving you quick and easy access to everything in your smart home. The icing on the cake is the $99 price tag -- and despite its reasonable price, you’ll still be treated to premium audio that can churn out some impressive tunes.

apple tv 4k 2022 review gen 3  10
Zeke Jones/Digital Trends

Apple TV 4K

Pros
  • Lightning quick navigation
  • Gorgeous Audio and Video output
  • Feature-packed
  • Extremely Powerful
  • Intuitive, uncluttered interface
Cons
  • Several features exclusive to Apple users

Although smart speakers are typically used as smart home hubs, the Apple TV 4K is actually a great alternative. Since it’s often placed in a central location in your home (that is, right next to your TV), Apple TV 4K is in a prime position to hear your voice commands and take control of your smart devices. Beyond serving as a HomeKit hub, the Apple TV 4K lets you access some of today’s most popular streaming services (such as Apple TV, Netflix, and Prime Video) and comes with a versatile remote control for easy access.

ipad pro 2023 next gen wish list battery display software apple 2022 review 6
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple iPad Pro

Pros
  • Sleek and modern design
  • Bright, vivid, gorgeous display
  • Wild performance from the M2 chip
  • Apple Pencil hover feature
  • iPadOS 16 is super robust
Cons
  • Stage Manager needs more work
  • Lackluster, awkward front camera
  • Prohibitively expensive

Although there are a few caveats to work around, your trusty iPad can double as a HomeKit hub. Consider using this for your hub if you don’t need a standalone device such as a smart speaker, or if you love the portability and versatility offered by this powerful tablet. It's important to note that iPads are much more expensive than both the HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K, so only consider this option if you also need a tablet (or can find a refurbished one at a great discount).

apple homepod 2 review 2023
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends

HomePod 2023

Pros
  • Great sound quality
  • Incredible bass performance
  • Dazzling Spatial Audio surround
  • Plug and Play wireless
  • Slick design
Cons
  • Limited connection options
  • No direct Spotify playback

Need something with a bit more power than the HomePod mini? Consider stepping up to the new-and-improved HomePod. The latest version of the beloved device is a bit pricey at $299, but benefits from high-quality audio (thanks to a four-inch high-excursion woofer and an array of five tweeters) that’s loud enough to fill the entire room. It also boasts Room Sensing technology and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos to help optimize its performance regardless of where it’s placed. Beyond enhanced audio and a larger footprint, everything that makes the HomePod mini so special is available in the HomePod, such as full support for HomeKit, Siri, and easy integration with other iOS devices.

Once you've installed your HomeKit hub, you're ready to sync it with all the HomeKit-compatible gadgets in your house. If you need help figuring out which products are best for this ecosystem, be sure to check out our roundup of the best HomeKit devices available today. You'll also want to keep a close eye on Matter – which is expected to make waves throughout the rest of 2023.

Jon Bitner
Former Digital Trends Contributor

Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites beyond Digital Trends, including The Wall Street Journal, Metacritic, GameSpot, and Slickdeals. He holds a degree in Biology and previously worked as a Medical Editor.

When not playing video games, he can be found running, reading, or checking out the latest series on Netflix.

iPad photographers may get the camera button they never asked for
Apple iPad Pro 2025 on a table

I always found taking pictures from an iPad, or just any other tablet, quite ridiculous. But Apple is apparently doubling down on the experience. A newly granted Apple patent titled “Input System for Portable Electronic Device” describes a pressure-sensitive button that can recognize taps, swipes, and full presses.

The technology bears a striking resemblance to the Camera Control Apple introduced with the iPhone 16 lineup, and most of the patent’s device drawings depict tablets rather than phones. While this doesn't guarantee that Camera Control is heading to an iPad, the patent does include plenty of details that suggest otherwise.

Read more
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra just showed up online, and Samsung seems reluctant to change a winning formula
Samsung may be sticking with the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra’s notch for yet another year
The 14-inch display on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra in a kitchen displaying a bbc good food recipe

Samsung’s upcoming flagship Android tablets have leaked again, and this time we have what appears to be the clearest look yet at the front of both the Galaxy Tab S12+ and Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra.

SammyGuru has published renders of the two tablets showing their displays and bezels. The overall design appears very close to last year’s Galaxy Tab S11 lineup, while the Ultra model once again carries the shallow display notch that many hoped Samsung would finally remove. Samsung has already confirmed that the Galaxy Tab S12 series will arrive during the second half of 2026, while previous reports have pointed toward a September announcement.

Read more
Apple sweetens trade-in values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and even some Android phones
The refreshed estimates arrive just weeks before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.
iPhone 16 Pro Max in Desert Titanium.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro lineup in just a few weeks. Ahead of the launch, the company has raised the trade-in estimates for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watch models in the US. The company has also added a small selection of Android phones to the list, including devices from Samsung, Google, and OnePlus.

iPhone and iPad values climb across the board

Read more