Apple Reportedly Scrapping Plans for New HomePod Mini - PCMag

Apple is reportedly not moving connected a caller HomePod mini, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

In his Power On newsletter(Opens successful a caller window), the tech newsman said that contempt Apple rolling retired the latest installment of the larger-sized HomePod the institution is not “actively working” connected a caller HomePod mini and whitethorn person scrapped plans to update the existent version, released successful 2020.

The reason, Gurman states, is apt owed to the information that past week’s merchandise of the second-gen HomePod does not see thing that the $99 mini doesn’t already have, “so determination isn’t an evident crushed to update the model.”

Gurman says that alternatively of moving connected an wholly caller hardware merchandise for the mini, Apple is apt to amended it by releasing bundle updates to Siri and app integration. The institution already precocious topped up the HomePod mini’s bundle truthful that it tin cheque somesthesia and humidity via a built-in sensor that had antecedently not been activated. 

The updated larger mentation HomePod, released past week, borrowed features that already existed connected the HomePod mini specified arsenic ultra-wideband enactment and Thread connectivity.  

That exemplary costs $299, and it trades an iPhone spot for an Apple Watch 1 and boasts an updated media sheet and sensors for checking a room’s somesthesia and humidity. The sensors, which are paired with Siri automation, tin power astute location devices to “close the blinds oregon crook connected the instrumentality automatically erstwhile a definite somesthesia is reached successful a room,” Apple said(Opens successful a caller window) connected its release.

Despite not moving connected an update for the mini, Apple is inactive acceptable connected expanding its foray into the smart-home market. Last week, Gurman reported(Opens successful a caller window) that Apple was moving connected a slew of smart-home devices, including caller displays specified arsenic a “low-end iPad” that tin power thermostats and lights arsenic good arsenic grip FaceTime calls.

The deficiency of question toward making a caller HomePod mini could besides beryllium down to the information that Apple has reportedly(Opens successful a caller window) been moving connected a astute show that unites the functionality of an Apple TV, camera, and HomePod, each successful 1 device.