Tag: HomePod

Posted on by

It sure looks like Apple is getting ready to release a HomePod with a display

Another rumor suggests Apple’s long-rumored HomePod with a display is launching in 2025. This time, a paywalled report by DigiTimes (via MacRumors) says Tianma Microelectronics will supply the gadget’s 7-inch LCD panel. Taiwan’s Radiant will reportedly handle backlight module production, and BYD will assemble the device.

Rumors about this HomePod with a screen have been floating on the web for years now, especially with conflicting reports about Apple’s upcoming home robot.

Last year, tvOS 17.4 hinted at this device, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple was planning to combine the Apple TV, FaceTime, and HomePod in one system. The journalist said Cupertino also wanted to create a “HomePod with a screen that swivels like a robotic arm.” This HomePod with an iPad-like display could be released as soon as 2026.

In 2023, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was readying a HomePod with a screen for the first half of 2024. While he eventually reframed his prediction to 2025, he believed it could feature a 7-inch display with Tianma manufacturing it. “The HomePod, which equips a panel, could enable tighter integration with Apple’s other hardware products, marking a significant shift in the company’s smart home strategy.”

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

Rumors say Apple has been working on several HomePod variants with screens. Two of them are a tabletop device with a robotic arm, and the other is an iPad-like product with a speaker combo and a built-in camera, something like an Amazon Echo Show.

In addition, a HomePod 3 is expected to be released as Apple’s smart home hub. Although reports suggest Apple Intelligence could play a big role in a smart speaker/display device, adding a better A17 Pro or M chip could greatly increase the price of a device most people aren’t willing to buy.

It seems that this product could be revealed in the third quarter of 2025, after the WWDC 2025 keynote. As always, BGR will monitor rumors and reports about this smart speaker and let you know if we learn more.

Source

Posted on by

Next-gen HomePod and Apple TV could become AirPort update we’ve been waiting for

A couple of weeks ago, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reported that upcoming Apple TV and HomePod mini devices are coming in 2025 with a bigger new feature: Apple’s custom-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. According to the report, the codenamed Proxima chip will be available with the new Apple TV, HomePod mini, and iPhone 17 models, and a new iteration of this processor will be available on iPad and Mac devices in 2026. He says the custom-designed chip will support Wi-Fi 6E and help “synchronize data more quickly.”

This change could benefit Apple’s creation of thinner devices and new wearable technology, as ultimately, the company wants to integrate the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip with a cellular modem and the core processor on its devices.

However, this custom Wi-Fi chip could provide even greater news for those waiting for a new AirPort iteration – which is not in the works.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman gives another tidbit about this future Proxima Wi-Fi chip, which is “so sophisticated that it could theoretically turn a home device like an Apple TV box or HomePod with a wireless access point.”

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

While the journalist doesn’t believe this will be a “main selling point of the devices,” they could add this feature. Users could improve the range of their Wi-Fi through these wireless access points.

However, it’s important to note that while Apple’s custom Wi-Fi chip could theoretically turn a home device with a WAP, it’s possible that Cupertino never turns this feature on. With the HomePod mini, the company took a long time to add smoke detection and in-house weather, even though the capabilities were inside the device since day one.

The future Apple TV is expected to feature Apple’s A18 chip and this new Wi-Fi chip. It’s unclear what improvements Cupertino is working on in the future HomePod mini, even though a more powerful sound with more noticeable bass would be a great addition.

BGR will let you know once we learn more about these devices.

Source

Posted on by

Apple’s first smart display might launch much later than expected

Reports last month said that Apple would introduce a wall-mountable smart display for the home as soon as March 2025. The device would look like an iPad, though it would be smaller than the iPad mini. It would run a new homeOS operating system that would feature elements from watchOS and iOS.

Those reports already gave us an idea of how Apple’s smart display will work, but the software experience might not be ready for a March launch. That’s what Ming-Chi Kuo said in a new note, indicating that the smart display’s release date was postponed to the second half of 2025.

Kuo wrote on Medium that the “display-equiped HomePod” mass production had been delayed multiple times.

Apple supposedly wanted to release it in 2024 but postponed it to the first quarter of 2025. More recently, Apple moved the smart display’s release to after WWDC 2025 or to the third quarter of 2025.

Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

“The delay in production is mainly due to software development,” Kuo said without offering specifics.

Kuo did mention some of the smart display’s specs, which are in line with previous reports. The display-equipped Homepod should feature an A18 processor and a 6-inch to 7-inch screen. That A18 chip means the smart display will support Apple Intelligence. Previous reports also said that Apple Intelligence will be available on the device.

Kuo also says the smart display will “emphasize smart home functionalities more.” That’s what other reports have also claimed. The smart display will act as the central hub of the smart home, allowing users to control various features and devices from a single place.

The analyst also reiterated that Apple will make a smart home surveillance camera in 2026. The camera will eventually connect to the smart display wirelessly.

Kuo estimates that Apple will sell about 500,000 units in the second half of 2025. If the smart display becomes popular, annual shipments could reach million-unit levels. In a separate report, Kuo identified BYD Electronic and Tianma Microelectronics as the main beneficiaries of Apple’s orders for the smart display.

The only thing missing from these reports is the price of Apple’s home display. It’ll be interesting to see how much Apple will charge for a device that will essentially be a smaller iPad for the home.

Source