9to5Mac Daily
Apple TV and HomePod combo rumors, more
By Chance Miller
April 9, 2021
New iPad Pro Coming
Rumors have been suggesting that Apple will introduce new iPad Pro models sometime in the first half of this year, and Bloomberg has already said that these models should arrive in April. While we’re still waiting for some news, Bloomberg today reported that the new 2021 iPad Pro is indeed coming later this month, despite supply constraints with the Mini-LED displays.
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Today’s report claims that Apple has been facing problems in the production of the new iPad Pro models, particularly with the supply of Mini-LED displays — which are expected to replace the LCD screen in the 12.9-inch version. However, citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg says the next-generation iPad Pro is still on track to be announced “as early as the second half of April.”
Bloomberg: New Apple TV
In a new report, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple is working on a new smart home product: a major evolution of an Apple TV set-top box that integrates a smart speaker and camera hardware. Somewhat similar in concept to the Roku Streambar, the single device would upgrade a user’s living room with a comprehensive multimedia system.
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The device would offer the kind of features users would expect from an Apple TV box — like access to video streaming apps and games console — as well as HomePod-esque smart speaker features and a camera for smart home security and living room FaceTime.
More Apple TV programs
According to a new report from The Information, Apple has hired away Jessie Henderson from WarnerMedia as the company looks to expand its investment in original film production. The new hire will join the Apple Original Films division as Apple looks to expand the number of films it produces. The report say that Apple is raising up its production target for TV+ movies, increasing from the original expectation of 10-12 per year
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The 10-12 figure dates back to a public interview Apple execs Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht held with The New York Times in 2019, when TV+ first launched. At the time, they described Apple’s film strategy as ‘modest and carefully considered, no more than 12 movies a year’.