Apple is believed to be engaged on a brand new full-sized HomePod that contains a touchscreen show for the primary time. The machine is rumored to launch as quickly as the primary half of this yr, so this is every little thing we learn about it to this point.
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman was first to recommend in 2021 that Apple is engaged on new HomePods with shows and cameras. The HomePod’s OS is now constructed upon tvOS, and it seems that the groundwork for a HomePod with a display has been slowly laid within the background for a while.
Design and Performance
The primary particular report of Apple’s intention to launch a new HomePod mannequin with a show got here from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in March 2023. He stated the machine will function a 7-inch show provided by China’s Tianma.
In October 2023, the Apple leaker and prototype collector often known as “Kosutami” shared details about an upcoming HomePod mannequin with an LCD show. The machine will purportedly function a nearly an identical design to the second-generation HomePod, however with a big LCD contact display on the high as a substitute of the LED array used on all HomePod fashions thus far.
This report was subsequently corroborated by different sources, which added that the mannequin is in energetic improvement beneath the codename “B720”. Code in tvOS 17 apparently means that Apple Music and Apple Podcasts are among the many first apps being rewritten to be appropriate with the brand new show, which is able to present a blurred animation primarily based on the colours of the album artwork when a track or podcast is enjoying. The display might additionally probably present essential notifications.
In December, Kosutami shared additional photos of the prototype machine, exhibiting a curved, convex LCD display to show content material on the high.
Chip
There’s additionally the potential for a brand new chip. The 2023 HomePod accommodates the S7 chip, the identical chip utilized in 2021’s Apple Watch Collection 7. Regardless of the introduction of the S8 chip in late 2022 within the Apple Watch Collection 8, Apple Watch Extremely, and second-generation Apple Watch SE, Apple elected to make use of the S7 chip.
Apple’s newest Apple Watch fashions function the S9 chip, which is considerably extra succesful than all of its predecessors as a result of it’s primarily based on the A15 Bionic. Many Siri requests are processed domestically, that means that responsiveness may gain advantage from an improved chip. The S9 might additionally open the flexibility for well being and fitness-related enquiries, however the precise chip the machine will use is unknown.
Further Options
The subsequent-generation HomePod’s show might facilitate deeper integration with Apple’s different {hardware} merchandise, Kuo believes. For instance, a brand new HomePod might conceivably introduce a lower-latency Handoff expertise with the second-generation Extremely Wideband chip used within the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Professional.
It might additionally tout improved audio {hardware} and microphones, in addition to specification upgrades like Wi-Fi 6E help.
Launch Date
In his unique March 2023 report, Kuo stated that the brand new HomePod would launch within the first half of 2024. There aren’t any concrete rumors about every other new full-sized HomePods on the present time. In the meantime, Kuo stated that Apple will start mass shipments of the second-generation HomePod mini within the second half of 2024.
It’s not clear if the touchscreen HomePod shall be a direct alternative for the second-generation HomePod or a brand new, high-end providing within the lineup, however it will not be lengthy earlier than we all know for certain.
In the long run, Apple is believed to be rethinking its sensible residence technique and is reportedly engaged on a mixed Apple TV and HomePod machine, in addition to a HomePod with a display mounted on a robotic arm.
