These don't sell because they are too much money. Apple would have to add this and keep the price the same or lower. No one is going to stand over their Homepod. Maybe once to see how it looks, and then a few times to show other uninterested parties how 'neat' it is.
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Kuo: New HomePod With Smart Home Display Arriving in Late 2025
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
To extract another $399-500 out of people who must have latest, greatest… and can only consider Apple offerings. 💰 💰 💰
“Another record quarter…” is fueled by motivating people to replace perfectly good tech with an almost identical thing that has some visible and/or physical difference to clearly illustrate the ones already in hand are not the “latest.”
If that doesn’t work, progressively slowdown the device through “more refined” software updates and/or arbitrarily vintage via software to throw fuel on the replacement-spending fire.
And this works just about every time. It’s the true genius of Apple.
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if I can't see the display from the front of this device its kinda worthless IMO.
I'm with you. I've had my Homepod 2 since Day 1 and I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've even looked at the top of it. There's no need for a display, especially when it's likely to just cause the price to increase.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Maybe lay one of those faux fire LED light devices on top and then put some Barbie & Ken/G.I. Joes around it... like a firepit*? 
*priced comparable to an actual fire pit for real people.
*priced comparable to an actual fire pit for real people.
agreed
Also, I wear reading glasses. I don't see the appeal of going to find my glasses to read a screen on a device which is predominately a speaker which by design should be either out of reach or blending into the surroundings not front and centre with a big screen attached.
Apple needs to fix the deficiencies in their software and airplay and make multi room music work more flawlessly than it does now.
in conjunction with a smarter Siri... a screen seems something that will solve an old problem that shouldn't exist with better AIs anyway.
The other side of this is... surely if you want a screen on a smart speaker.. Apple are almost there already with their standby display on the iPhone when charging. All they need to do is to have a toggle or suchlike that turns the Apple Watch/iPad/iPhone into a smart display hub negating the need for a screen on the speaker.
If Amazon could guarantee every Alexa customer had an Amazon smartphone in their pocket with potential tight integration into the Echo speakers you can be sure they wouldn't have developed the show range.
Look on it like all modern tech. Increasingly costs are saved by not putting control screens/buttons on devices and instead relying on bluetooth connected apps to do all the controlling. Adding screens to things seems a backwards step in this day and age.
I generally love Apple Products, the Homepod is the biggest disappointment from Apple in recent memory.
It's sole purpose, was a backup and (supposedly) superior speaker compared to what the wall mounted TV has. It's volume is about half of what the TV does, and with a houseful of guests - it's simply easier to just use the TV. Maybe this year will see a Soundbar.
Never intend to buy another Homepod, this was $300 wasted.
It's sole purpose, was a backup and (supposedly) superior speaker compared to what the wall mounted TV has. It's volume is about half of what the TV does, and with a houseful of guests - it's simply easier to just use the TV. Maybe this year will see a Soundbar.
Never intend to buy another Homepod, this was $300 wasted.
How about an iPad MagSafe with an Always On display, and the option to set the Home App as the Home Screen when waking up the iPad while on MagSafe.
Or better: just have an iPhone wake in Home App when it’s horizontally on a MagSafe charger
Developing that would cost 1/10,000th and be more useful than a HomePod with another screen.
Or better: just have an iPhone wake in Home App when it’s horizontally on a MagSafe charger
Developing that would cost 1/10,000th and be more useful than a HomePod with another screen.
There’s no way the smart home display looks like that. From a usability perspective that’s a terrible design having to stand over it and look down to manage smart home features.
Considering where they put the charging port on their mouse and power button underneath on the M4 Mac mini, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they actually did it. Some of their design choices are baffling.
I don't know about this having a touchscreen on top of a speaker like that but really doesn't do much. It seems a silly adaptation a round display how strange.
Apple's long-rumored HomePod with a display has been delayed again and is now expected to launch after WWDC 2025, likely in the third quarter of the year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This timeline is a shift from Kuo's earlier prediction of a 2024 release.
MacRumors concept render
The new smart speaker is expected to feature Apple's A18 processor and a 6-7 inch display, with support for Apple Intelligence, says the analyst. According to Kuo, the delay is primarily attributed to software development challenges, rather than hardware issues.
There have been rumors about a HomePod with a display since 2021, and Apple actually seems to have several products in the works. Kuo's latest report harks back to previous predictions from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who suggested Apple was developing several HomePod variants with screens, including one with an iPad-like display and another featuring a screen mounted on a robotic arm. Gurman had indicated these devices were unlikely to launch before 2025.
The new HomePod will reportedly emphasize smart home functionality more than current models, suggesting a strategic repositioning of the product line. The idea that Apple is targeting the smart home market follows a recent report by Gurman about Apple developing an all-in-one home management hub with a square-shaped display, thick bezels, and a hemispherical base similar to the iMac G4.
Tianma Microelectronics will be the exclusive panel supplier for the display-equipped HomePod, while BYD Electronics will be the exclusive assembler, according to Kuo. Initial shipment expectations for the new HomePod are relatively modest, with analyst forecasting approximately 500,000 units in the second half of 2025. He also maintains his previous prediction that Apple will launch a compatible smart home IP camera in 2026 that is designed to work wirelessly with the display-equipped HomePod.
Article Link: Kuo: New HomePod With Smart Home Display Arriving in Late 2025
Most people put them in places where you cant easily see the top, I cant imagine this being a selling point with the current design honestly
If you still use WiFi transmission, then the use scenarios of this product are too limited. I have purchased a pair of this product, and I can’t say it is easy to use. How can I talk about sound quality? It should be said that sound quality is very important, but no delay is more important!
Apple, a multi-billionaire-zillionaire rule-the-world company unable to add a Oled display to a product announced in 2017, entirely crafted (hardware, software, each little screw) by themselves. Even my alexa devices have a lot of issues but, come on!
Youre confusing "can" and "want"...
feel free to create your own company so you can do what customers want rather than what makes business sense.
they can delay it in the EU... need to check what possible legal challenges will happen there with every device or software release going forward...