HomePod with a screen is expected to be added to Apple’s home audio offering next year. HomePods have not been released on a set schedule by Apple. As a result of poor sales of the first generation model, it almost appeared that Apple had abandoned the segment. A runaway success of the HomePod Mini prompted the company to launch a full-sized version to meet demand.
Apple’s next addition to this segment could be their most radical move yet, even if they don’t know what the same specs will do for the segment’s success. According to reports, Apple is developing a smart display rivaling Google’s and Amazon’s.
According to noted tipster Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a 7-inch version of the HomePod. Analysts predict that the device will be unveiled in the first half of 2024. An analyst in Hong Kong predicted the new HomePod would change Apple’s smart home strategy. Having a screen on the HomePod will enable tighter integration with Apple’s other products. It’s unclear how Apple will do that, but its competitors have already done a great deal of market research. While Google’s Nest Hub series includes a large screen with smart home integrations and Alexa integration, Amazon’s Echo Show series includes a large display with smart home integrations and Alexa.
As a 7-inch smart display, the upcoming HomePod will likely compete with the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) and Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen). This could be a new iPad with a smart home dock, billed under the HomePod lineup, based on an older leak from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. A similar timeline for H1 2024 was suggested by the journalist. Consequently, Apple may have to launch it at a price point that is above Google and Amazon’s budgets. Apple’s integration of its hardware ecosystem remains to be seen how it differentiates itself.
