Apple is reportedly planning to reposition the revamped HomePod with a display as a smart home device.
Apple's upgraded HomePod is expected to offer support for Apple Intelligence features
Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Mark Tegethoff
Apple is working on a HomePod equipped with a touchscreen display, according to reports. While mass production of the device was previously expected to begin this year, a market analyst claims that it will not start until after the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) event next year. The updated HomePod with a display is expected to be one of several smart home devices being considered by Apple. The company is also reportedly considering including support for Apple Intelligence features on these smart home devices.
According to details shared by TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a Medium post, the company planned to produce the purported HomePod with a display earlier this year, but it was delayed to the first quarter of 2025. The analyst says that mass production has been delayed again, as the company is still developing the software expected to run on the device.
Kuo claims that mass production for the revamped HomePod is not expected to begin until the third quarter of 2025, which is after Apple's WWDC 2025 event. If the forecasted timeline is accurate, we can expect the device to be launched by the end of next year.
Apple is planning to position the display-equipped HomePod as a smart home device, according to the analyst. Unlike previous models, this device is expected to arrive with more advanced specifications — it will reportedly be powered by a A18 chip that enables support for Apple Intelligence features and sport a square shaped display.
Recent reports suggest that Apple is also working on several other smart home devices, including a wall mounted tablet, a TV set, as well as a smart home camera. Kuo claims that the latter will arrive in 2026 and work with the upgraded HomePod, using Apple's HomeKit smart home technology.
The analyst also states that Apple is working on identity authentication solutions for smart home devices, but there's no word on how these would work. The company was recently granted a patent for a smart home camera with the ability to identify a person using stored images, even when their face isn't visible.
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