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HomePod Mini 2 and New Apple TV Launch Timeframe Narrowed Down

More Gurman guff. Even on the occasions it isn’t guff, I miss the days when Apple-related rumours were about exciting new features that improve daily workflows rather than ‘educated’ guesses about product release plans.
 
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All other places people put AppleTV where one can see it from the main seating position will then set up the scenario of user seeing the other party on their screen but user appearing to look off to the left or right, not back at the person(s) to which they are FaceTiming.
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in fairness, a mix of Apple’s Center Stage and Attention Correction features might fix framing and people’s apparent gaze, respectively.
 
nickf said:
An integral camera on the AppleTV makes no sense. A wired camera that you put i.e. on top of your TV would be too clunky for Apple (right?). So that leaves a wireless camera, which associated charging issues.

I'm sceptical.
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Well, as it currently stands you can use your iPhone for FaceTime calls on AppleTV (only works with the latest generation, which I don't have, so I cannot attest to how well, if at all, it works)
 
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JOLoughlin said:
So there will be a camera on your Apple TV box…? Seems odd but ok. Wonder if that works considering where people place there black computer box. And there really is no reason to upgrade the chip. Unless there is more to the future of tvOS, apps aren’t really hitting a ceiling are they?
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My Apple TV is in a cabinet, so this wouldn't be useful for me at all. However, I suspect that if Apple do include a camera, they will use similar tech to Desk View for FaceTime on Mac (with a sprinkle of AI), such that, for people who keep their Apple TV low down on a TV stand (which is probably most people), the image will look like it's taken from a 'normal' height.
 
So it’s basically just a chipswap. Strange it won’t come with WiFi 7 because WiFi 7 is the standard from now on and backwards compatible.

I’m wondering what announcements will be held for march because just a chip swap doesn’t make me excited especially when you consider how old the device already is.

Better sound in the HomePod mini?
 
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DunedinD said:
More Gurman guff. Even on the occasions it isn’t guff, I miss the days when Apple-related rumours were about exciting new features that improve daily workflows rather than ‘educated’ guesses about product release plans.
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The Apple of today makes big announcements for just a chip swap or a color change. And then you have to wait another 2-3 years for the next incremental step. Apple is more focused squeezing the most profit out of products then it’s showing their products attention and love.
 
HJM.NL said:
Strange it won’t come with WiFi 7 because WiFi 7 is the standard from now on and backwards compatible.
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Yes, this is very strange. Probably, because it is their first iteration of a wireless chipset it took longer than anticipated, so they are currently a generation behind. The problem is, if they wait until Fall 2025 to release, they are nearly 2 years behind the rest of the market.
 
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Big_D said:
Yes, this is very strange. Probably, because it is their first iteration of a wireless chipset it took longer than anticipated, so they are currently a generation behind. The problem is, if they wait until Fall 2025 to release, they are nearly 2 years behind the rest of the market.
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There is only one reason to sell older tech in an already dated product. More profit for Timmy 🤑
 
Big_D said:
Yes, this is very strange. Probably, because it is their first iteration of a wireless chipset it took longer than anticipated, so they are currently a generation behind. The problem is, if they wait until Fall 2025 to release, they are nearly 2 years behind the rest of the market.
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Most don’t have WiFi 7 in their house and an Apple TV isn’t leaving the house so they probably find it acceptable. But yea their chip set is probably behind too
 
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Big_D said:
Wi-Fi 6E? That is a little "behind the times" for a new product due at the end of this year, given that the rest of the world moved onto Wi-Fi 7 last year... For the AirPod mini, that isn't such a big problem, Wi-Fi 2 would probably provide more than enough throughput, but it still seems a little odd for a brand new chip to be 2-3 years behind the current standard.
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3 years behind? Wifi 7 hasn’t even been fully ratified yet. There are only draft devices out right now, and even they were only certified in 2024.
 
escargot3 said:
3 years behind? Wifi 7 hasn’t even been fully ratified yet. There are only draft devices out right now, and even they were only certified in 2024.
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Wifi 7 was introduced in 2022 with support of more than 170 devices. Qualcomm and other big players all use WiFi 7 as the new standard. WiFi 8 is expected in 2028.
 
pdmpolishing said:
If this is true people are just getting fed up having to wait for products to arrive. I've been waiting so long to be able to use HomePods as surround speakers with the Apple TV I finally gave up and sold the HomePods and went with Sonos.
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…which got you immediate, refined surround sound instead of only waiting & hoping. Action speaks (in surround) louder than words… and hope and waiting. Good job. Enjoy surround sound now... and for all the days to come while many Apple people keep waiting & hoping for Apple to do something in that direction (with not a single rumor about it).

Same with AAA gaming. All can keep waiting for big games to magically come to Mac, or take a similar action and be playing them today. We all know where they are now in great abundance. One purchase and you gain access to them. Or keep right on waiting for them to embrace Mac… someday… perhaps when Apple proclaims they are double-dog-dare-you-serious about gaming this time. ;)
 
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il_teo77 said:
Well, as it currently stands you can use your iPhone for FaceTime calls on AppleTV (only works with the latest generation, which I don't have, so I cannot attest to how well, if at all, it works)
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It works fine with phones and iPad too. However mobile devices leave home often and others left behind may want to FaceTime and they don’t have one. Or while using a phone like that, it can’t simultaneously be used for other things such as taking a call or immediately responding to a "What R U doing?" text notification while it is “tied up” as a TV cam.

As such, some desire a dedicated cam option… like the dedicated cams in MacBooks, iMac and ASD… in place of which anyone could just use an iDevice too. For that matter, nobody needs AppleTV or the TV to FaceTime either- they can just do that on their phone. And yet, just about everyone has a TV and a chunk of us Apple people have AppleTV hooked to it. This is just one more bit of dedicated functionality that some desire.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
It works fine with phones and iPad too. However mobile devices leave home often and others left behind may want to FaceTime and they don’t have one. Or while using a phone like that, it can’t simultaneously be used for other things such as taking a call or immediately responding to a "What R U doing?" text notification while it is “tied up” as a TV cam.

As such, some desire a dedicated cam option… like the dedicated cams in MacBooks, iMac and ASD… in place of which anyone could just use an iDevice too. For that matter, nobody needs AppleTV or the TV to FaceTime either- they can just do that on their phone. And yet, just about everyone has a TV and a chunk of us Apple people have AppleTV hooked to it. This is just one more bit of dedicated functionality that some desire.
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If it’s FaceTime only, good luck with that in Europe where WhatsApp is the standard and works crossplatform.
 
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If the new HomePod 2 has the new Siri LLM, I'll buy it. Otherwise it's a real waste of money. I'll keep my HomePod regular 1st gen. It's a good speaker but a dumb one for sure.
 
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pdmpolishing said:
If this is true people are just getting fed up having to wait for products to arrive. I've been waiting so long to be able to use HomePods as surround speakers with the Apple TV I finally gave up and sold the HomePods and went with Sonos.
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since I got the Vision Pro I don't even use my home theater setup I spent so much money on lol
 
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Years and years and years after everyone has bitstreaming they’ll bring out another Apple TV without bitstreaming.
What een stupid range of devices. I’m gonna block all articles about Apple TV on this website and I’ll stick to my stupid ****** Android device :(
 
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I was hopefully for a spring release of a new AppleTV. Eagerly waiting for the upgrade to pass that along to my other Tvs in the house (trading out the old for the new down the line)
 
Rychiar said:
since I got the Vision Pro I don't even use my home theater setup I spent so much money on lol
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That guy probably has more than one person living in their home... or has guests over to watch stuff in their home theater with them... or just doesn't want a Vpro-type device right now.

I'm one of the "oddball" SUPPORTERS of Vpro (around here) but it's easy to grasp why many still want a traditional home theater setup, even if they also own a Vpro. Both have distinct uses that serve their owners well. But only one of them can serve their owners AND their families & friends simultaneously.

In just about no way- including the single person living alone- do I see Vpro as a complete substitute. Even the single living alone probably dates... or probably has friends/fam over at least a little of the time. Home theater setups are a social activity catalyst... such as gathering around to watch the big game. Vpro is an isolated experience for one... such as closing an office door and focusing in on getting something done or watching something without any distractions. We all have our times when we need to do BOTH. And both are fine tools/tech where one or the other makes the most sense (for example, there's no way to take my traditional home theater (or even just the TV portion of it) on the plane) but I don't see either as a full substitute for the other.
 
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