Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Launching in 2025
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Since the entire iPhone 16 line supports Wi-Fi 7, I’m hoping it turns out to be 7 rather than 6E. I can’t see them going backwards from 7 to 6E in the iPhone, and if it’s the same chip for all devices, that leaves some hope. Ofc it’s possible they have different chips / variants, and 6E will be a welcomed upgrade for HomePod either way.
Wi-Fi 7 more for future proofing rather than any practical use now
It's a bit clunky for Apple perhaps, but my top request would be a USB port for a webcam. I loved Facebook's Portal TV, but now they've abanodoned it I'd like Apple to offer me an alternative. Using an iPhone over wifi is impractical and unreliable.
I wonder if Apple would create their own proprietary network protocols to make Apple devices more integrated/faster?
Apple does not understand gaming. We see the reports right here on this very site about treating devs/publishers who bring their games to Arcade like garbage.
The current regime (Tim's) cannot truthfully speak about gaming in any meaningful/truthful way at an Apple press conference.
Maybe if Apple brings in more youthful leadership who grew up with games, then something meaningful can happen. Right now the only thing happening is bringing 5 year old games like Resident Evil 2 to the Iphone and finding they barely sell anyway.
it's just Apple making deals but having no real idea what they are doing.
What the heck ever happened with the Game Porting Toolkit? LOL!!!
The current regime (Tim's) cannot truthfully speak about gaming in any meaningful/truthful way at an Apple press conference.
Maybe if Apple brings in more youthful leadership who grew up with games, then something meaningful can happen. Right now the only thing happening is bringing 5 year old games like Resident Evil 2 to the Iphone and finding they barely sell anyway.
it's just Apple making deals but having no real idea what they are doing.
What the heck ever happened with the Game Porting Toolkit? LOL!!!
You realize that if you have windows in your house it's as good as an open door to a burglar? The good news is that the very vast majority of homes are never burgled, even if they have no security system beyond a door lock or dead bolt.
Merry Christmas to all.
They would (and have). Zeroconf (formerly rendezvous) and mDNS -- at least in part -- got started at Apple. Unless I'm mistaken the technology is standards track and not (or no longer) proprietary.
If the rumors are true about Ternus being the person who will eventually replace Cook, he would fall in that age demographic for someone who possibly grew up playing games. Not really sure what his outlook would be regarding games in general, but it could maybe be an improvement. 🤷♂️
That is a bit of hyperbole there!
I wholeheartedly agree with you on home locks and cameras, I would never install any of those inside my home. I have one exception to that rule, we call "kitty cam", when we go on vacation we set up a camera that can just see the cats food bowls, that way we can check in on them. That camera sees only their bowls, nothing else, and is only in use when needed.
Where I feel you are off-base is where you lump in things like Caseta switches and/or door/window sensors. I don't think advertisers find it useful if X window sensor reads open or closed or X dimmer switch is on at 50%. Especially if these are in HomeKit versus an app.
I make good use of wifi 7, but it may just be that Apple's in-house solution (like cellular) will necessarily be behind for a minute
That's not how it works. The IEEE controls the interoperability and standards for a reason, chiefly so that all the implementations work together. Apple doesn't have the stable of talent to even begin to approach that group of Poindexters.
That's a big stretch. First and foremost: He's a product of the company and it's culture and so it's safe to assume he doesn't care about or get games either. Call it an institutional bias or blindside
Cmon now. Those things have been out for years. LOL. But really, what can they do to the mini that will make you want to upgrade your nightstand speaker soon?
Apple tried that with discoveryd and quickly realized they were deeply out of their wheelhouse and reversed course replacing it with the mdnsresponder. Doubtful they'd make such a foolhardy and visible mistake like that again. They may contribute from time to time but smarter minds decide the protocols and operation.
The real question is why they couldn't retain the talent that could previously produce those ideas and bring it forward to implementation.
Last edited:
Oh, for sure. I completely agree, which is why I put the "shrug" emoji at the end. Really the only thing he's got going for him is that he's a bit younger and his personality seems like it could fit with that mentality more than Tim Cook's does. But the fact that he probably does have at least some institutional bias, as you said, can't be ruled out.
When it's all said and done though, Apple is going to want to increase profits. They may reach a point where ignoring games like they do when they have plenty capable machines leaves too much meat on the bone so to speak regarding potential revenue opportunities. I never really thought they would focus on things like producing their own television content or movies either, but here we are...
Implementation details aside, Multicast DNS (IETF RFC 6762) is the product of Apple engineers. I think that answers the question I was responding to: "I wonder if Apple would create their own proprietary network protocols to make Apple devices more integrated...".
I wasn't implying Apple was going to resurrect AppleTalk and overthrow TCP.
If Gurman reported this, then I would take it with a grain of salt. He reported the Ultra 3 (until the night before the anticipated launch, which he recanted after everyone else said it wasn't happening) and an October event, which never happened (I predicted it wouldn't happen and I'm just a MacRumors reader).
I hope the new updates to HomePod mini and Apple TV will be more than internal spec updates with new chips.
For HomePod mini:
For HomePod mini:
- Some support for Apple Intelligence, even a smaller model would do
- A small display for a single dynamic widget display, such as the clock or whatever is relevant to the Siri query
- Support for Apple Intelligence
- Support for higher resolution HomeKit Secure Video cameras
- Next generation video engine for improved scaling and map SDR into HDR to eliminate the need for match dynamic range (if at all possible)
- Support for lossless formats
It's worse than that. Apple thinks they already are a major player in gaming.
After all they make millions of dollars from games on the App Store through IAP.
And they have Apple Arcade.
And they have people like Hideo Kojima making guest appearances and talking about how great the Mac is.
And they have powerful GPUs with platform specific APIs.
And they sell Mac specific ports of several year old games through the Mac App Store.
And Apple seriously, legitimately believes those things matter and make them a huge part of the gaming industry.
In case it's not blindingly obvious, I do not believe that those things matter, and I do not believe that they are a relevant part of the gaming industry.
I do think there are some people inside of Apple that see those things for what they are and want to actually be relevant to gaming, but I don't think those people have the power to do anything about it.
So we get this Wall Street safe corporate-speak about gaming, but without anything most actual gamers are interested in.
Last edited:
Well if they wanted to aim it at gaming, I think that’s the bare minimum. Also it wouldn’t have all the Mac mini features such as the ports, macOS, the metal casing, only 64gb storage. Do we really believe the M4 is that much more expensive than, say, the A18 pro?
Don't put that out in the universe. Karaoke capabilities through the Apple TV would be something my wife would absolutely love...She already does too many sing-along sessions blasting through the house on each rooms HomePod Mini's as it is.
Let me guess exactly the same design with a modest chip boost from the left over stuff from IPhone 14 series but rebadged!