Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

HomePod 2 Now Over 3 Years Old, With No Sign of New Model

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster


Apple's second-generation HomePod is now over three years old, with no sign of a refresh or third-generation model on the horizon.

HomePod-2-White-and-Midnight-Feature-Purple-Blue.jpg

The original HomePod was announced at WWDC in 2017 and launched in 2018 after a heavily delayed release. The device was met with mixed reviews; critics praised its outstanding sound quality but pointed out its high price, missing features, and limited functionality compared to rivals.

Apple dropped its price from $349 to $299 in April 2019 and, in March 2021, the company announced that it was discontinuing the first-generation HomePod, instead shifting its focus to the HomePod mini, which launched the previous year. The decision left a gap in Apple's product lineup for a full-sized smart speaker until the company introduced the second-generation model via a press release on January 18, 2023. It launched on February 3, 2023.

The second-generation HomePod looks virtually identical to the original, although it is 0.2 inches shorter and has a larger edge-to-edge LED touchscreen on top. It also boasts a range of upgrades and changes compared to its 2018 predecessor, including the S7 chip, a U1 ultra wideband chip, a removable power cable, a temperature and humidity sensor, and sound recognition. However, it features two fewer microphones and horn-loaded tweeters.

Apple is widely rumored to be planning a wave of new smart home devices, including a home security camera, over the next few years, but it is not clear if the HomePod is part of that. Apple appeared to be exploring a new HomePod with a touchscreen display at the top of the device around 2024, ostensibly proven by leaked prototype images, but there have been no further reports of such a device or any third-generation HomePod for over a year.

Rumors about Apple's plans for the smart home now center on an all-new smart home hub device, which has been described as a HomePod with a square iPad-like 7-inch screen and an A18 chip, with support for the next-generation version of Siri. It is expected to launch this year. A new HomePod mini is also rumored to be released this year.

Article Link: HomePod 2 Now Over 3 Years Old, With No Sign of New Model
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/04/homepod-2-over-3-years-old/
  • Wow
Reactions: Z-4195
I love the 2 we have. One in kitchen and other in living room connected to ATV. Would love to get a second for TV surround, but not really needed it seems. I think the price is the biggest downfall, which is why I shopped for both of mine used at a more reasonable price.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maczaddy
tomtad said:
WHY DOES IT NEED A NEW MODEL.

This thing is a home speaker. It should be able to be sold for 5 years, hell even a decade, without requiring any updates.
Click to expand...
The best home audio device Apple ever made was the Airport Express — wifi router with an audio line-in, hook up to any fancy home audio system: perfect music forever.

I'm rocking out to one this very minute!
 
  • Like
Reactions: tICM, tnsmart, ph001bi and 11 others
I’ve been debating a pair for a renovated barn project that just wrapped. The TV is hung. I just need speakers. The brains of the operation is an AppleTV, which is mounted behind the TV. So I want wireless speakers for the ATV to send to, and no cables between tv and speakers.
 
lazyrighteye said:
I’ve been debating a pair for a renovated barn project that just wrapped. The TV is hung. I just need speakers. The brains of the operation is an AppleTV, which is mounted behind the TV. So I want wireless speakers for the ATV to send to, and no cables between tv and speakers.
Click to expand...
It works very well, I am in no need of a Soundbar because of this set-up. Try it.

The only downside is that one cannot add rear speakers (yet).
 
  • Like
Reactions: SFjohn, lazyrighteye and centauratlas
I have a pair and for their size they sound fantastic.

It’s too bad Apple didn’t go further. All the sound processing technology they used in the HomePod (like beamforming and environment analysis) would have been great had Apple expanded their offerings.

I’d love to see Apple make a full home theatre surround system utilizing the same technologies.
 
  • Like
Reactions: whoknows2597, whitby, dustin_ and 2 others
MacRumors said:


Apple's second-generation HomePod is now over three years old, with no sign of a refresh or third-generation model on the horizon.

HomePod-2-White-and-Midnight-Feature-Purple-Blue.jpg

The original HomePod was announced at WWDC in 2017 and launched in 2018 after a heavily delayed release. The device was met with mixed reviews; critics praised its outstanding sound quality but pointed out its high price, missing features, and limited functionality compared to rivals.

Apple dropped its price from $349 to $299 in April 2019 and, in March 2021, the company announced that it was discontinuing the first-generation HomePod, instead shifting its focus to the HomePod mini, which launched the previous year. The decision left a gap in Apple's product lineup for a full-sized smart speaker until the company introduced the second-generation model via a press release on January 18, 2023. It launched on February 3, 2023.

The second-generation HomePod looks virtually identical to the original, although it is 0.2 inches shorter and has a larger edge-to-edge LED touchscreen on top. It also boasts a range of upgrades and changes compared to its 2018 predecessor, including the S7 chip, a U1 ultra wideband chip, a removable power cable, a temperature and humidity sensor, and sound recognition. However, it features two fewer microphones and horn-loaded tweeters.

Apple is widely rumored to be planning a wave of new smart home devices, including a home security camera, over the next few years, but it is not clear if the HomePod is part of that. Apple appeared to be exploring a new HomePod with a touchscreen display at the top of the device around 2024, ostensibly proven by leaked prototype images, but there have been no further reports of such a device or any third-generation HomePod for over a year.

Rumors about Apple's plans for the smart home now center on an all-new smart home hub device, which has been described as a HomePod with a square iPad-like 7-inch screen and an A18 chip, with support for the next-generation version of Siri. It is expected to launch this year. A new HomePod mini is also rumored to be released this year.

Article Link: HomePod 2 Now Over 3 Years Old, With No Sign of New Model
Click to expand...
Apple should consider a product roadmap for updates/upgrades every 5years.
 
I really don’t understand why they discontinued it, and then brought it back. Is it even a good seller? That was the reason for discontinuation in the first place soooo….why?

I’d love to see a refocus to using this and HomePod minis as a 5.1 system, at least it’d be useful for something then…
 
  • Like
Reactions: dustin_ and sflagel
Apple learned an important lesson with the HomePod 1. They put all of the bleeding-edge features into it and there was no clear upgrade path. They didn’t do this with the HomePod 2. There is a clear upgrade path, on a multi-year timescale.
 
  • Like
Reactions: whoknows2597 and dustin_
I just want a new ATV that will work with my original HPs. The ATV is getting long in the tooth and with the latest OS it has a few juddering issues when certain options are turned on (I'd never heard the word juddering until I started investigating issues after update).
 
  • Like
Reactions: sflagel
To everyone saying their old HomePod works great so why make a new one -- apply the same logic to any Apple device anyone currently owns and Apple would never release any new upgrades!

The point of a new model is to introduce new features to make it better than the previous gen. Those of us that don't own one, like me, would like to see a more useful HomePod that works with any device or service, not just what Apple wants.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: centauratlas
Having a stereo pair for the past year has been mostly enjoyable. I still find one will randomly disconnect mid video and randomly reconnect. If they can resolve that issue I’d be completely happy.
 
goonie4life9 said:
Apple learned an important lesson with the HomePod 1. They put all of the bleeding-edge features into it and there was no clear upgrade path. They didn’t do this with the HomePod 2. There is a clear upgrade path, on a multi-year timescale.
Click to expand...
HomePods support WiFi 4 and no universal wireless standards, and support no wired input. What bleeding-edge features are you suggesting they currently support? They sound fantastic, but that isn't a feature per say, just the product's purpose is sound.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back