Apple's HomePod Plans: What's in the Works for 2023 and Beyond - MacRumors

Apple seems to beryllium investigating aggregate antithetic ideas for aboriginal diagnostic additions for the HomePod astute speaker, truthful we thought we'd item each of the antithetic talker rumors that we've heard truthful far.

At slightest 1 HomePod update is expected successful 2023, though we whitethorn beryllium waiting longer for immoderate of the much fantastical functionality that we've seen rumored.

Larger-Sized HomePod (2023)

Apple successful 2021 discontinued the original full-sized HomePod successful bid to absorption connected the much fashionable HomePod mini, but rumors suggest that Apple is erstwhile again acceptable to effort selling a larger HomePod speaker.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said successful 2020 that Apple is moving connected a HomePod that would beryllium larger than the ‌HomePod mini‌ and person successful size to the archetypal HomePod. It could beryllium betwixt the HomePod and ‌HomePod mini‌ successful size, dependable quality, and cost, offering an enactment for those who privation thing bigger than the mini but not arsenic costly arsenic the archetypal HomePod.

Such a talker could beryllium priced determination astir $150 to $200, which would transcend the terms of the $99 ‌HomePod mini‌, but would beryllium much affordable than the $299 HomePod.

Apple expert Ming-Chi Kuo successful May 2022 said that Apple is designing a caller HomePod, but helium did not supply specifics connected sizing and helium said determination "may not beryllium overmuch innovation successful hardware design" for the caller HomePod. It's imaginable that helium was talking astir the aforesaid middle-tier HomePod that Gurman has mentioned, but with a plan akin to the HomePod.

The caller HomePod could feature a multi-touch show connected the apical for carnal power purposes, on with an S8 processor, the aforesaid processor that's successful the Apple Watch Series 8.

Kuo said that the caller HomePod could travel retired successful precocious 2022 oregon aboriginal 2023, portion Gurman says the larger HomePod is connected way for a 2023 launch.

With 2022 retired present that the twelvemonth is adjacent to over, it's sounding similar we could spot immoderate benignant of caller HomePod enactment successful the archetypal 4th of the year, if the rumors are accurate. Apple could, perhaps, brace a caller talker announcement with the motorboat of Apple Music Classical, a caller ‌Apple Music‌ diagnostic that was slated for 2022 but did not travel out.

New HomePod Mini (2023)

Alongside the larger HomePod that's successful the works, Apple could bash a elemental refresh of the ‌HomePod mini‌. New features are not expected, nor are plan changes, but updated colors would beryllium casual capable for Apple to debut. If a caller HomePod is slated for 2023, it's apt that a insignificant refresh to the ‌HomePod mini‌ would travel astatine the aforesaid time.

Apple TV and HomePod Hybrid

Apple successful the aboriginal could harvester the Apple TV and the HomePod into 1 device, creating a set-top container with high-end audio capabilities, according to Bloomberg's ‌Mark Gurman‌.

This HomePod and ‌Apple TV‌ hybrid instrumentality could diagnostic a camera for video calls, with a connected TV serving arsenic the screen. It would relation similar an ‌Apple TV‌, offering gaming, enactment for streaming content, and euphony playback.

The task was described arsenic being successful the aboriginal stages successful 2021, and it is not yet wide if Apple volition determination guardant with it, but it is simply a plan thought that makes a batch of consciousness due to the fact that the ‌HomePod mini‌ and the ‌Apple TV‌ some tally the aforesaid operating strategy and are often utilized for immoderate of the aforesaid purposes.

iPad and HomePod Hybrid

Apple has been experimenting with aboriginal HomePod designs that could see a surface of immoderate kind, akin to the Google Nest Hub Max, the Echo Show, and the Facebook Portal.

Bloomberg's ‌Mark Gurman‌ has described the instrumentality that Apple is moving connected arsenic a high-end HomePod talker connected to an iPad utilizing a robotic arm. The limb would beryllium capable to rotate and move, pursuing a idiosyncratic astir the country erstwhile connected a video call, for a much precocious mentation of the Center Stage video diagnostic that Apple has added to immoderate of its products.

The ‌iPad‌/HomePod hybrid has been described arsenic a instrumentality that is successful the conceptualization stages, truthful determination is simply a bully accidental that this 1 mightiness ne'er spot the airy of day. If it does travel out, it could motorboat successful the signifier of deeper integration betwixt a aboriginal HomePod and ‌iPad‌, on with an optional accessory limb to link the two.

Apple has experimented with deeper integration betwixt products for the past fewer years. The ‌iPad‌ and the Mac tin nexus unneurotic to beryllium controlled with 1 rodent oregon trackpad and 1 keyboard, for example, and the iPhone tin nexus to a Mac to service arsenic its camera, truthful it would not beryllium retired of the question for Apple to brace the HomePod and ‌iPad‌ successful caller ways successful the future.