By: Nick Gambino
While we’ve never gotten official word of its existence, Apple has been reportedly working on a HomePod fitted with a display. Even without an official announcement this just makes sense as the next evolutionary step in the smart speaker.
The next-gen HomePod was rumored to be scheduled for release in 2024 and then early 2025 and now a new report from trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has the Apple HomePod being released in late 2025.
We’ve had to rely on Kuo for most of our information about the screen-fitted HomePod. With his track record of getting things right it’s safe to trust the information he’s providing.
“Compared to the current HomePod lineup, the display-equipped HomePod will emphasize smart home functionalities more,” Kuo says in his prediction report.
Apparently the biggest reason for its delay to 2025 Q3 is for software reasons. Apple is looking to update the smart speaker series with recent tech advancements in their other products, namely Apple Intelligence. By including an AI component in the HomePod, they can significantly ratchet up its capabilities and bring it in lockstep with the rest of their hardware products.
The screen itself will be about 6 or 7 inches and may be more like an iPad that can magnetize itself to surfaces for easy mounting. This may mean a complete aesthetic redesign that changes what the HomePod looks like. As of right now it’s a pill or cylinder speaker. And while that version may still exist without a screen, I can’t see them retaining that design when they add a display.
This is all a plan by Apple to carve out a larger piece of the smart home market. Amazon and Google currently dominate this space with the Echo and Nest respectively.
Apple is uniquely positioned to further launch into the smart home niche with so many consumers using an iPhone. By creating a seamless integration or handoff between the iPhone and HomePod with display, you make it easier for the whole experience to be congruent.
