HomePod HomePod revision this year?

[Adazonk]

Afternoon all,

Apologies for the general/open questions, I've scanned the first few pages of the forum but I can't see a similar question.

I'm really umming and ahhing over pulling the trigger on a HomePod, I've dabbled with an Echo but privacy concerns and I want to stay within the Apple ecosystem and already use Apple Music which Alexa wont play nice with.

I've read the rumours about a 'HomePod Mini' or 'Beats HomePod' but I'm wary about pulling the trigger and a full Homepod 2.0 revision being announced, what are peoples thoughts on the viabilty of this?

Thanks

 

[JBaby]

No one knows the answer to your question. I bought one in December and another in January. I had no reservations. You say privacy is a concern for you so buy it now. There will always be a new and better thing. That’s just tech.

 

[gnomeisland]

I doubt it. HomePod doesn't seem to be selling the way Apple hoped, plus, it is still the best in class. No one is creating anything that really rivals the tech (because, despite the whiners, it is actually a great value). Updated hardware would most likely mean a cheaper device that makes compromises—something Apple only rarely does. I don't know about the UK, but in the USA there are often sales that range from $50-70 off which I think put HomePod at a killer price point.

A "HomePod mini" or "Beats HomePod" would most likely be a traditional speaker with Siri functionality. If that's all you want and you're patient, it might happen this year. HomePod is so much more than that.

 

[ipedro]

HomePod is following the Apple TV’s path, not the iPhone’s. The hardware is near perfect, everything it needs for the long term is already there. It just needs to evolve on the software side.

HomePod is building a user base over time so Apple benefits from keeping early users in the same group as those who just purchased one.

I think it’s possible that we may see a HomePod mini based on the Beats Pill design. A cheaper, battery powered portable speaker with Siri to take around the house or maybe affordable extensions of the HomePod that use the main HomePod’s processor but can listen to commands and play music in smaller spaces like bathrooms or front halls.

Eventually, we may see things like a Face ID camera added to HomePod to recognize facial expressions and gestures as has been shown in Apple patents.

But for now, I think the original HomePod hardware is going to be sticking around for 3 or more years. The original Apple TV was announced in 2006 and released in January of 2007. It was left unchanged for almost 4 years when the little black box we know now went on sale at the end of 2010.