HomePod with display: it could come with this hardware
Apple could unveil a HomePod successor with a screen as early as spring. Information about the planned hardware comes from the supply chain.
The HomePod does not yet have a display – at least not a usable one.
(Image: Apple)
2024 was not a good year for fans of fresh Apple product categories: It was the first twelve-month period in 13 years in which no completely new product was announced in the line-up. This will hopefully change in 2025: Apple's new "Home product" is expected then, among other things. According to the latest speculation, it could be released as early as spring. The rumors go in different directions: Is it a kind of mini-iPad for HomeKit control that can be turned into a speaker using a dock? Or is Apple finally giving the HomePod a real display? Is it two devices or one? In recent weeks, there has been fresh information from Asia, which we have compiled in the following article.
Inexpensive LCD panels ordered
According to the electronics trade journal DigiTimes, Apple is said to have found a low-cost supplier for 7-inch LCD displays, which are intended for a "HomePod". It remains unclear whether this corresponds to the Home device. According to the report, the manufacturer will be the company Tianma, which will reportedly only receive 10 US dollars per panel. This should help to make the device more competitively priced.
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Apple is reportedly considering the A18 for the SoC. This chip would be comparatively new, as it is found in the standard and Pro versions of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro. This is to ensure that the new Home device (and/or the HomePod with screen) can run Apple Intelligence, as the HomePod is simply not yet capable of this. The information on the A18 SoC also comes from other sources, such as Ming-Chi Kuo from TF International Securities, who is usually well connected in Apple's supply chain. He also speaks of a "HomePod with 6 to 7 inches" in 2025.
Apple wants to move more into the smart home
Apple has been active in the smart home business for many years. However, apart from the HomePods, the company has not had any products of its own in this segment to date, instead focusing on software, with the latter increasingly moving in the direction of Matter. In addition to the "home product", however, it is also reportedly planned to offer genuine Apple smart home products for the first time this year.
These could be a doorbell or a secure video camera. However, it is unclear how far these plans have progressed. The Home product is also set to receive a new operating system called homeOS, which, like the HomePod firmware, is based on tvOS. It is said that there will not be a separate app store for it.
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