The next HomePod it could be very different from the models we know today. Ming Chi Kuo ensures that Apple is working on a drastic redesign for its smart speaker, whose next generation would have as a great novelty the integration of a 7-inch screen.
As is often the case with predictions or rumors of this type, the information should be taken with a grain of salt. According to the analyst, the device will be presented in the first half of 2024, if there are no delays. In addition, it indicates that the Chinese company Tianma Microelectronics will be the exclusive supplier of the panels.
Why would Apple add a 7-inch screen to its next HomePod? The reasons behind this alleged change are not too clear. Kuo mentions that it “could allow for tighter integration with other Apple hardware products, marking a significant shift in the company’s smart home strategy.”
Clearly, what the expert says is quite vague. However, when speaking into a HomePod with a 7-inch screen, it is impossible not to think of a device similar to Google’s Nest Hub.
Perhaps those of Cupertino intend to create a gadget that not only serves as a smart speaker on its own, but also functions as a control center for other HomePods, HomePod mini, and the rest of the smart devices scattered around the house. Let’s remember that another recent rumor claimed that Apple was working on a screen that served as hub for the connected home. Is it the same device, after all?
With so little information available, we can only speculate about what the next-generation HomePod might feature. But if what Kuo says is true, we will surely come across more leaked details over the months.
The HomePod would lead the renewal of Apple’s audio catalog in 2024
The supposed HomePod with integrated 7-inch screen could be in charge of spearhead the renewal of Apple’s audio catalog in 2024. Let’s remember that, a short time ago, Ming-Chi Kuo himself reported that those on the block plan to launch a new HomePod mini next year. But the story would not end there, since an update to AirPods Max would also be on the way, as well as the supposed launch of cheap AirPods.
Of course there are some discrepancies between rumor and rumor. Just as the analyst indicates that the HomePod with a 7-inch screen would be presented in the first half of 2024, at the time he said that the new HomePod mini along with the renewed AirPods Max could arrive in the final part of the year. Or, at the latest, at the beginning of 2025.
It remains to be seen how this story continues. A short time ago, Apple reintroduced the large HomePod, after discontinuing it due to poor sales. the new device It came with superficial changes in terms of aesthetics, and with some noticeable modifications inside. However, it continued to stand out for its great audio quality.
The most negative criticism that Cupertino received with the launch of the second generation of the HomePod was for the lack of backwards compatibility with the original model. Something that was evident with the impossibility of using stereo pairing between a new unit and one of those introduced in 2018.