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New 'HomePod' With 7-Inch Display, A18 Chip, and More Reportedly Launching Next Year

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Apple plans to release a new "HomePod" with a 7-inch LCD display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support in 2025, according to DigiTimes.

Google-Nest-Hub-2.jpg
Google's Nest Hub​

It is unclear how much the screen-equipped HomePod would cost, but Apple is seemingly aiming for a reasonable price. In a paywalled report this week, the supply chain publication said Apple has selected China-based manufacturer Tianma to supply the LCD panels for the device, at an "exceptionally competitive" price of $10 per panel. The low cost of this component would likely contribute to the device being more affordable.

A screen-equipped HomePod has been rumored several times over the past few years. Earlier this month, for example, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo similarly said that a HomePod with a 6-to-7-inch display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support would enter mass production in the second half of 2025. Kuo said smart home capabilities would be a core aspect of the device, so it sounds like rumors about a screen-equipped HomePod and Apple's rumored smart home hub are referring to the same product coming next year.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month said Apple's smart home hub looks like a "square iPad," with a roughly 6-inch screen. He said the hub can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. It will run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and revolve around Siri, Apple Intelligence, and HomeKit, he added. The hub could double as a home security system by displaying camera footage, and it is said to have a built-in camera that allows for FaceTime video calls.

Apple's hub would compete with products like Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show, which are priced in the $150 to $400 range. Kuo and Gurman both said Apple is also planning a wireless security camera that would work with the hub.

It is unclear if Apple will actually use HomePod branding for the home hub, or if it will opt for all-new naming. It is also unclear if the current HomePod speaker will be updated next year, but a new HomePod mini is expected to launch next year.

Article Link: New 'HomePod' With 7-Inch Display, A18 Chip, and More Reportedly Launching Next Year
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/12/21/homepod-with-7-inch-display-report/
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gusping said:
It'll be way too expensive and sell terribly. Anyone with a brain can see this will be a flop. Just like the big Homepod.
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I’m afraid you’re right. It has to compete with already established offerings so it has to better and same priced. Not a thing Apple is famous of and the risk it will go the same path of neglect the following years. As with most Apple products these days. Half baked and premium priced.
 
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citysnaps said:
Of course, like all other Apple products. If they're not profitable they won't come to market. As with any other company that manufactures, markets, and sells products.

I'm looking forward to its release. Have a feeling many will be pleasantly surprised regarding its utility.
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Will be the first pleasant surprise in a long, long time if your feelings are right. My feelings say the opposite: high hopes and underwhelming end results 😉
 
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They have no vision anymore. This is another useless device. How far they have fallen…

No one wants a hub for smart home things. That’s the point of a smartphone always nearby. You want people getting up and going over to a ****ing screen that isn’t even near them? Incredibly stupid idea.

There is no intelligent and inventive design at Apple anymore.

The only things they should be working on right now are:

Mac’s, iPhone, AirPods and AirPods Pro, a new health band which only does health monitoring with no screen and the screen and computation is the iPhone. A pair of smart glasses where the computation is the phone, and better them overtime to include projected displays on the lenses. And finally, a humanoid robot.

That’s all.
 
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This rumor claims this device has functionality you can conveniently do on an iPhone or iPad (Facetime, watch camera feeds, control smart home devices, etc.). Why would I get up and walk over to that device to do any of those things?

Also not sure about the speaker rumor. If it can be attached to a table or hung on a wall, it’s probably mostly “flat”. Much like an. . . . Oh, wait . . .

MacRumors said:
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month said Apple's smart home hub looks like a "square iPad," with a roughly 6-inch screen.
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turbineseaplane said:
I have a hard time even describing how uninterested I am in this product
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If the rumors of the functionality of this device holds true it’s proof for me that they’re trying everything to scrape some more money.

A HomePod with screen that only works with Apple products is a failure in Europe.

Siri doesn’t work great with HomeKit either. It’s time someone like Jobs pushes Timmy out and get some focus back on their hard- and software before we’re getting another OS: HomeOS
 
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HJM.NL said:
If the rumors of the functionality of this device holds true it’s proof for me that they’re trying everything to scrape some more money.

A HomePod with screen that only works with Apple products is a failure in Europe.

Siri doesn’t work great with HomeKit either. It’s time someone like Jobs pushes Timmy out and get some focus back on their hard- and software before we’re getting another OS: HomeOS
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Costs aside, I'd personally prefer to have an AVP over this rumored "thing"
 
turbineseaplane said:
Costs aside, I'd personally prefer to have an AVP over this rumored "thing"
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I’m afraid that market will also be Google and Samsung terrain. Apple isn’t able to compete with them. Surely not when Android XR will be open source.

For that “thing” they could better make a magnetic charger for on the wall where you can put your iPad on when not in use. When charging it could offer the “thing” functionality.
 
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