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New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Are Still Missing, Here's Why

MacRumors said:


Apple this week unveiled seven products, ranging from the iPhone 17e to the MacBook Neo, but new Apple TV and HomePod mini models were not among them.

HomePod-mini-and-Apple-TV-Sage.jpg

Given that there have been rumors about the next-generation Apple TV and HomePod mini since all the way back in late 2024, some customers are wondering why the devices have yet to launch, and the answer likely relates to Siri.

In September, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that the next Apple TV and HomePod mini would both support the more personalized version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence. Apple originally aimed to release the revamped Siri last year, but it was pushed back, and the Apple TV and HomePod mini are likely delayed as a result. We suspect that Apple's long-rumored smart home hub is also held up by the Siri delay.

In January, Apple and Google announced that Google Gemini will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year. Apple has yet to provide a more specific timeframe, but Gurman reported that the personalized Siri features are currently slated for either iOS 26.5 or iOS 27.

iOS 26.5 will likely be released in May, following a beta testing period beginning in April. iOS 27 will debut at Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June, and that update should be released to all users in September. There would be corresponding tvOS and HomePod software updates released at the same times. Accordingly, the new Apple TV and HomePod mini might not be announced until April to September this year.

Earlier rumors claimed the next Apple TV would be equipped with the A17 Pro chip, which is the oldest chip that supports Apple Intelligence. The device is also expected to feature Apple's N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.

As for the HomePod mini, it is expected to use an Apple Watch's S9 chip or newer, but it is not entirely clear how that chip would be capable enough to support the revamped Siri powered by Apple Intelligence. Other rumored features include the N1 chip, improved sound quality, a newer Ultra Wideband chip, and a red color option.

The current Apple TV was unveiled in October 2022, while the HomePod mini debuted in October 2020, so both devices are due for upgrades. Hopefully, the more personalized Siri arrives in the next few months, and the two devices follow soon after.

Article Link: New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Are Still Missing, Here's Why
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My Apple TV died last March and I waited patiently for the new model to launch. Yesterday I gave up and bought a 4K from eBay. I should have done it a year ago.
 
I think now more than ever Apple should make the Apple TV into more of a gaming device. Consoles are having trouble and new computers are expensive. Windows, also, is becoming a pain point for a lot of gamers and there’s a movement towards Linux gaming in the near future. Imagine an Apple TV with an M4-5 that can play some high-end games on the TV for $200-$300. Apple has made some moves towards attracting game developers to the Apple ecosystem and I think a console-type device might push things forward a little quicker.
 
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JitteryJimmy said:
It's OK. My Apple TV HD that I purchased in the Fall of 2015 runs the newest tvOS, and is still working like a champ. It has never let me down. I won't mind keeping it around for more years.

But to be fair, I do use it with the newest Siri Remote (3rd generation).
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Ah but no Snoopy screen savers!
 
Orange Bat said:
I think now more than ever Apple should make the Apple TV into more of a gaming device. Consoles are having trouble and new computers are expensive. Windows, also, is becoming a pain point for a lot of gamers and there’s a movement towards Linux gaming in the near future. Imagine an Apple TV with an M4-5 that can play some high-end games on the TV for $200-$300. Apple has made some moves towards attracting game developers to the Apple ecosystem and I think a console-type device might push things forward a little quicker.
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They can't even release one that just does the streaming things! Imagine how long everyone would have to wait if they ever pulled their finger out and wanted to put some concerted effort into a gaming version. Haha!
 
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ughh. Been eager to ditch my Xfinity TV boxes (constant hanging and other problems) and go just internet with Apple TV box for each TV since we're pretty much all in on Macs and iPhones. Don't want to buy the current ones if a new one is coming. More intelligent searches could be nice and I'm crossing my fingers they have a USB port that might allow a FaceTime camera to have group video calls.
 
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The current model of the Apple TV works very well, producing much higher quality output than the native apps on my 77” LG OLED TV. I can display my photos, play my music, watch all streaming channels I want. It supports HDR, Dolby Atmos etc. all without advertising and collecting data on what you watch so what else is it supposed to do? I do not care whether I can talk to it apart from searches and it works fine for that function. And I do not have to connect my TV to the internet where it will share my viewing data with whomsoever the manufacturer desires. So I remain puzzled as to what a new Apple TV can do to improve my listening and viewing quality. Quite happy with the current version, just keep making it Apple, please.
 
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Powerbooky said:
It deserves an M3.
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tbh this would make a tiny bit of sense since with M4 MBA they bumped the base RAM on M3 MBA as well

this would effectively leave them with some stock of 8GB M3s ... which was also in iPad Air hehe

but would definitely make more sense if they tried to market the Apple TV also as a gaming console - which it deserves

but it's all just my wish and it won't happen of course ... they would need to open up tvOS a bit so apps could retain data and not limit them to just a few megabytes with everything else being just a storage self-clean up lottery
 
I always love it when we get back to Apple & Gaming and what they should do or we wish they would do...

...of which they will do none of.

🤣
 
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Most of the kit Apple has released in recent months (iPhone 17 & 17 Pro, iPad Pros, iPad Airs) are designed to work with the new Siri in whatever decade it finally arrives. The release of these products was not held back until Siri is ready.

So why are the new Apple TV and HomePods being held back?
 
JohnC1959 said:
ughh. Been eager to ditch my Xfinity TV boxes (constant hanging and other problems) and go just internet with Apple TV box for each TV since we're pretty much all in on Macs and iPhones. Don't want to buy the current ones if a new one is coming. More intelligent searches could be nice and I'm crossing my fingers they have a USB port that might allow a FaceTime camera to have group video calls.
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Just a quick note to point out that you do know you can use your iPhone camera to provide video for group FT sessions on your TV, don’t you?
 
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Folks, Apple is innovating at a break-neck pace. Just look at the flood of ALL NEW products released just this week! This included a brand new product category, the MacBook Neo, which takes the portable, efficient laptop market to a whole new level, featuring Apple's best-in-class aluminum design at a game-changing price. As Tim has repeatedly said, the pipeline has never been stronger, so stay tuned for the ALL NEW Apple TV and HomePod mini.

One more thing.... The shine has never been brighter on the Apple, and Apple can't wait to show you the revolutionary new Siri and something for the home....
 
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Because nobody gives a hoot and they're at best mediocre products that do not enrich your life in the slightest?
 
goonie4life9 said:
Folks, Apple is innovating at a break-neck pace. Just look at the flood of ALL NEW products released just this week! This included a brand new product category, the MacBook Neo, which takes the portable, efficient laptop market to a whole new level, featuring Apple's best-in-class aluminum design at a game-changing price. As Tim has repeatedly said, the pipeline has never been stronger, so stay tuned for the ALL NEW Apple TV and HomePod mini.

One more thing.... The shine has never been brighter on the Apple, and Apple can't wait to show you the revolutionary new Siri and something for the home....
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Apple hasn't updated the AirPod Max in 6 years. When they changed the lightning connector to USB-C, they removed the wired listening mode.
The revolutionary Siri is Google Gemini, rebranded. Such innovate.
 
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They failed with OpenAI Apple AI, now they are switching to Gemini Apple AI.
Siri will likely be updated for iOS 27 which will be released in Sept 2026, so I guess, new Apple TV too 🙁
 
The A17 would be stupid and short sighted about the future. It would be so far behind in two years and who knows the additional demand of technology by that time. Apple should operate balls to the wall and produce beyond expectations.
 
SRQrws said:
I can relate. I just wasted 5 minutes closing and opening Apple Music and rebooting my Studio so Airplay would stop playing through the monitor speakers, even though it's set to play through my Sonos speakers. Ugh. Seems like that happens every few days.
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I remember when it was called "AirTunes" same problem. We're going on 22 years now, giving up hope.
 
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