A HomePod with a screen could be available as soon as 2024. This product was first reported in 2021 when Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said Apple was exploring several different audio speaker models for the future.
At the time, the journalist said Apple could be preparing an Apple TV with a HomePod combo, an iPad with a HomePod, or the three products combined. While it’s still unclear which product Apple wants to compete with (smart home hubs, Amazon Echo products, etc.), last week, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was readying a HomePod with a screen for the first half of 2024.
The analyst believes it will feature a 7-inch display, which Tianma will manufacture. “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,” Kuo wrote.
The leaker didn’t mention what Apple would call the new product or which operating system might power the HomePod with a display. That said, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman decided to reiterate his 2021 report (and Kuo’s latest claim) in his Power On newsletter by saying Apple is indeed readying this HomePod with a screen. Due to the economic tensions and layoffs around the industry, the company decided to push back the release of this product to next year at the earliest.
While Gurman didn’t give a timeframe previously, it’s a bit weird that he says the product has seen a pushback. In addition, he says the Cupertino firm decided to do that because it allows “Apple to allocate its research and development budget to more pressing projects.”
Even if Apple is still a year away from introducing this product, it’s interesting to know that the company still wants to expand its smart home hub with more products, as the company currently offers the Apple TV and two HomePod models.
BGR will keep reporting on this upcoming product as we learn more about it.
