When the Apple New HomePod Might Launch. The original Homepod was discontinued by Apple in March 2021, but it seems that a successor might hit the shelves very soon. According to TFI securities analyst and reliable Apple roadmap prediction expert Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple went on to introduce “a new version of the HomePod” in the last quarter of 2022 or within the first three of 2023.
Kuo’s prediction falls in line with a Bloomberg report, which claims that an updated version of the HomePod is in the pipeline for a 2022 release.
When the Apple New HomePod Might Launch
However, folks enthusiastically dreaming about some big upgrades with the next-gen HomePod might be in for some disappointing news. As stated by Kuo, “there might not be much innovation in the hardware design” for the upcoming Apple smart speaker. The HomePod first hit the shelves in January of 2018, but its high asking price of $349 likely kept it from becoming the next major success story for Apple’s hardware division.
The Speaker is yet to see a successor, and after spending just over three years on retail shelves, the device got discontinued as Apple shifted it focus to the smaller HomePod mini that sold for $99. Not much is known about the second-generation HomePod at this point in time, but there are rumors going around concerning the next-gen HomePod equipped with a screen.
HomePod Might get a Screen Upgrade
A Reddit user shared a video recently in which Siri on a HomePod can be heard saying that the answer to a user query is “displayed on your HomePod.” This led many to believe that it was a Siri slip-up that spilled the beans on a next-gen HomePod, while others dismissed it as a bug. However, Apple is reportedly working on an even interesting audio product.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed last year that Apple is working on a hybrid device that is placed together with an Apple TV and a HomePod with a camera in tow for video calls. Video conferencing duties would reportedly be routed through a connected TV. The same reports also stated that Apple was working on a device that would marry a smart speaker with a screen.
It envisioned a hybrid device that is better described as an HomePod base with an iPad fixed right on the top. Apple stated that it has to experiment with the idea of connecting the screen hardware with a robotic arm to the speaker. But do have it at the back of your mind that these rumors are best with no official confirmation, and even if the aforementioned HomePod Hybrids were still in testing, there is no certainty that they would launch as a commercial product.
