9to5Mac recently discovered new evidence of Apple’s work on a new HomePod device with a display. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman corroborates that Apple is continuing to “pursue this idea.”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like this mysterious HomePod with a screen will be released anytime soon.
In Power On this week, Gurman writes that Apple has explored a number of different smart home devices over the years:
- A three-in-one device that would combine the Apple TV, HomePod, and FaceTime.
- A HomePod with a screen that “swivels like a robotic arm.”
- “iPad-like smart devices that could be magnetically attached to a wall.”
Despite Apple’s explorations, however, Gurman says that he doesn’t think Apple has “made enough headway on any of these devices to consider them imminent.”
“The company has been indecisive about what to do in the home for years, and I’ve seen nothing to suggest that has changed,” Gurman writes.
Still, even though nothing has materialized, Bloomberg says isn’t giving up on the possibility of new smart home devices:
But talk of a HomePod with a display cropped up again recently, with 9to5Mac citing references to such a device in recent beta versions of iOS. Upon checking, I still don’t think the product is going to be released this year.
But I am told Apple that continues to pursue this idea and has begun early work on it with overseas suppliers, including China’s BYD, which makes some iPad models. If Apple finally moves forward with the product, a launch wouldn’t come until 2025 at the earliest. Work on the device is being led by Matt Costello and Brian Lynch, two key executives in the company’s hardware group.
Right now, the company sells the HomePod and the HomePod mini as its two smart speakers. What smart home device should Apple focus on releasing next? Let us know down in the comments.
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