There have been many questions about Apple’s commitment to the smart home industry over the years, particularly earlier this year when the company discontinued the full-size HomePod. Now, a new report suggests that even internally, Apple isn’t quite sure what its smart home plans are, but that a new Apple TV, HomePod, and FaceTime combo device is on track for 2023.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman muses that the Apple TV has “become pointless” amid stronger competition from Amazon and Roku, and a lack of innovation from Apple.
He suggests that Apple could reinvent the Apple TV by making a more affordable version, cutting the price of the existing model, or by adding features to make it worth its current price. Nonetheless, Gurman says none of this is likely to happen soon based on what he’s heard from Apple engineers:
If Apple wants to truly be effective, it could just cut the price of its box, make a cheap “stick” version with 4K or add features that actually make it worthwhile. But as of now, it’s hard to believe that will happen soon, especially with Apple engineers telling me that the company doesn’t have a strong living room hardware strategy and that there isn’t much internal optimism.
Gurman also doubles down on his belief that Apple will release a combo Apple TV, HomePod, and FaceTime device as soon as 2023:
Yet again, Apple does appear to recognize this, and it’s developing a combined Apple TV, HomePod and FaceTime camera home hub device for release around 2023. Will that version finally improve Apple’s offering in the living room? Only time will tell. But if the next big revamp doesn’t go well, it might be time for Apple to consider putting the Apple TV on the same shelf as other living room products like the iPod HiFi and high-end HomePod.
What do you think of the current state of the Apple TV and HomePod? What are you looking forward to seeing in the future? Let us know down in comments!
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