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This is cool, looks like Amazon's Alexa as well but I'd like to have a soundbar HomePod with camera so that we can FaceTime on Apple TV instead. :D

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Please say this ain’t so. I could really use a pair of revamped HomePods and some of the ideas thrown about are welcome, too. What I consider utterly unnecessary and stupid is the idea of a HomePod equipped with a camera or video screen of any kind, shape or form. That would be a dealbreaker for me.
 
So... An Apple Homepod @ $459, and an iPad @ $499 combined with the iMac G4's "neck"... Hmm, RRP of about $1499.

(All prices in AUD)

I would love that - But I would not pay that.

I have a G4 iMac sitting around that I'm thinking of using for similar reasons... wont be as good, but - should do the job.
 
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And still it makes no sense. I love my regular homepods throughout my house. The last thing I’d want is a crappier speaker with a screen slapped on so it doesn’t fit anywhere.

What I WOULD like is more functionality out of my regular AppleTV like enabling FaceTime with a separate camera attached onto the Tv screen so I get FaceTime and Zoom on my 65” Sony Bravia XR OLED. And a better chip in my AppleTV than a two-year old hand-me-down which is already obsolete.

Oh and a scroll wheel on the remote that actually works out of the gate would be nice. It’s not like Apple never did scroll wheels before.
 
I’ve never used any of my HomePods and thought, “Gee, I wish this had a screen.” Bring me that shelved 2022 HomePod instead.
Agree. Would love them to add more to the device (bluetooth, etc) instead of adding a screen too it. Maybe incorporate the apple tv stuff inside so you can only need 1 device instead of needing the box and the homepod speaker as it currently is.
 
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Are people actually excited to be dropping 4 figures every 3 years or so as updated versions come out?
It entirely depends on how big of an upgrade the new „HomePod Soundbars“ are. If an upgrade is justified I have no issue dropping another grand on one.

I still rock the 11 Pro Max because I don‘t see the 12 as a big enough upgrade. I also still have the 2018 15“ MBP, because there‘s no real upgrade there too. Just cause they have refreshes every now and then, doesn‘t mean the old hardware is obsolete or has to be replaced.


The only reason I bought the new Apple TV 4k is cause I needed a new Apple TV for a media room, so naturally I waited a few months for this one to drop (rumors etc. stopped me from getting the previous 4k mode).
 
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That G4 HomePod-iPad combo looks sick! Would totally get that to easy HomeKit access + a decent speaker.
The G4 iMac was one of my favorite designs. It was seriously ahead of its time, and IMHO it honestly has aged quite well. It still looks futuristic even today, it's ergonomic, easily adjustable, and fits well into many environments. Since Apple made the Intel switch I always said I would be happy to pay a pretty penny for a modern Intel Mac in the iMac G4 enclosure (or dare I say, even a standard PC). I still have a functional G4 iMac 15", but of course today it's all but useless even for simple tasks. Debian PPC might bring some utility back, but given that it's 32-bit PowerPC it's largely left in the dust even by Linux and co.

There were AIO designs well before the G4 iMac, and Jobs universally shunned their design after dropping the G4 iMac... and then suddenly decided to just join the club for the G5. I remember when the first G5 iMac came out, my first question was "but what if the computer still wants to be horizontal...?" The G5 dropped only, what, 2 years after the G4, and many of the issues Jobs indicated (especially drive performance issues with drives vertically or slanted, especially with optical drives) were still relevant and present at the time, since SSDs still were more than half a decade away. With the cooling problems Apple often had with G5's, bringing forward the design, even if it meant enlarging the dome a bit for more cooling hardware, would probably have worked out better.

I'm guessing Apple still holds some serious design patents on the design? Because I'm kinda surprised we haven't seen some sort of third-party PC case+monitor design with similar characteristics even to this day... Even more surprised given how often the Chinese counterfeiters blatantly copy Apple designs...
 
This could be me reaching for my tinfoil hat - but I'm getting less and less interested smart home appliances in the home that listen for my voice. I shut off 'hey siri' on my phone as well. I'm sure they can just listen in anyway. I'm steering clear of them.
 
I mean the more you chew this over, literally, why don’t they just make a tv…? … I know, I know…
 
Just give us Homepod 2 with Thread and WiFi 6 please and we’ll be happy. No need to mess with a perfect formula.
The biggest criticism of HomePod was the price, so adding a screen or incorporating  tv is only going to increase the price therefore making it a harder sell. The addition of eARC/ARC to the new  tv has increased the functionality of the HomePods. Adding Thread and the U1 would be a great upgrade to the HomePod and maybe a 3.5mm AUX in like the Sonos 5? The new MacBooks are rumoured to have more ports so maybe Apple could make a HomePod for those who want to use turntables and CD players.

An updated HomePod 2 makes more sense than any of the hybrid devices in this article. If Jon Prosser had leaked these devices they would have been treated with derision yet as they came from Mark Gurman they are taken seriously? Emperors new clothes comes to mind.
 
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