Photo Credit: Tron Le
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes we could see a HomePod with a screen as soon as 2024.
Kuo says the next-generation HomePod is likely to feature a seven-inch screen to help facilitate deeper integration with Apple’s other hardware. The post suggests Apple will be testing a new supplier for the redesigned HomePod display. If that participation goes well, it may supply panels for iPads in the future.
We’ve heard rumors that Apple could be introducing a HomePod with a screen on and off since 2021. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg was the first to suggest that a new HomePod featuring a screen with integrated cameras could be coming. Apple seems to be refocusing on its smart home strategy with new devices. The HomePod currently runs a variant of the tvOS, but Apple might be working on a homeOS platform for future smart devices.
A job listing in 2021 suggested the existence of the new ecosystem. This could be part of Apple’s attempts to compete in the home ecosystem with Google and Amazon in a more coherent way. Right now, the HomePod experience is less than stellar when compared to Alexa and Google Assistant.
“As part of its broader home, audio, and accessories strategy, Apple has also begun early development of a HomePod speaker with a built-in screen as well as a device that combines the features of a HomePod, FaceTime camera, and Apple TV,” reported Mark Gurman in 2021. Gurman also reported at the time that Apple is exploring a high-end HomePod speaker that could include an iPad connected via a robotic arm, capable of following the user around a room.
Apple discontinued its largest HomePod model in 2021, only to reintroduce a new HomePod that looks like it. The screen could sit on top of the device where the current HomePod features controls—but there’s at least a year’s wait ahead of this one.