Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported earlier today that Apple has been working on a new HomePod mini for next year. While the report is focused on mentioning Apple’s new wireless chip, my only request is that Apple brings Apple Intelligence support to its future HomePod models.
HomePod and Apple Intelligence
I have HomePods all over my house, and although they’re quite convenient due to their integration with AirPlay and Apple TV, there’s no denying that the Siri experience is still quite frustrating. Except for setting timers, Siri constantly gets things wrong, even when it comes to playing songs or podcasts – the main function of a HomePod.
This week, with the release of iOS 18.2 to the public, Apple confirmed that Apple Music is getting a discreet but important update. It will now use natural language search to better understand what users want to find. This search is handled online on Apple’s servers, which means it’s also available to Siri on the HomePod.
Top comment by Doug
You say you want this but you don't. There is no way and no need for your $99 HomePod mini to have the raw processing power of an iPhone 15pro or iPhone 16. First that device would now be $300 and second you would have to replace all of the HomePods around your house.
All you need is something capable of Apple Intelegence on the same network and it can pass this request to that device just like it would to an apple server but faster with more privacy.
I'm not arguing against adding to or enhancing the HomePod line but for Apple intelligence you simply need a single always on device with enough horse power to handle your requests locally. To me this sounds like an update to the AppleTV. It is already rocking an A15 chip, so moving that to an A17 or A18 seems reasonable even at a $150 price point.
Of course they could offer a highend version with an A18X cpu that packs in double the Gpu cores and is capable of 4k gaming at a premium with a controller for say $259-299.
This alone should make the experience of using Siri on HomePod to change songs much better, but we need more. Apple has promised a brand new Siri capable of understanding your personal context, and this experience will be available next year for iPhone, iPad, and the Mac. But the essence of HomePod is Siri, and it needs that experience too.
The product would be much more useful if I could use it to ask questions about my day even when my iPhone isn’t around.
Currently, HomePods are powered by the same SoCs found in the Apple Watch, which means that they aren’t powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence. According to rumors, Apple has been working on a “HomePad” that will have a large screen and a chip capable of running AI features. However, I also expect Apple to bring a more advanced chip to regular HomePods as well.
But what about you? Do you also think that Apple Intelligence for the HomePod would be a game-changer? Let me know in the comments section below.
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