When it comes to smart speakers, Apple has so far launched the HomePod (announced in 2017) and the HomePod mini (announced in 2020) – and rumor has it we might get another device from the same series before the beginning of the year.
This comes from a reputable Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuowhich says that a new model is going to appear during the last quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023. This period is from October 2022 to March 2023.
What Kuo doesn’t say is whether it will be a full-size HomePod or the miniature version. Apple dropped the larger version of the smart speaker in March last year, which makes us think we might get a new HomePod mini. However, there’s always a chance that Apple could bring back the original in an updated form.
Apple would release a new version of HomePod in 4Q22-1Q23, and there might not be much innovation in hardware design. Smart speakers are undoubtedly one of the essential parts of the home ecosystem, but I think Apple is still figuring out how to succeed in this market.May 20, 2022
Similar design
Kuo doesn’t reveal much about what the next HomePod might bring, but he does say “there might not be much innovation in hardware design.” In other words, the new model will look like what we’ve seen before from Apple.
That’s perhaps unsurprising – there really aren’t many ways to design a smart speaker, and the current HomePod aesthetic works well enough. However, we’ve also heard rumors that Apple may be working on a HomePod with a screen attached.
Amazon and Google are already making smart speakers with built-in displays of course, but Apple may not be ready to go that far in 2022 or 2023. As always, as soon as there’s official news on that , we will bring you all the details. here on TechRadar.
Analysis: Apple needs a better smart speaker
As Ming-Chi Kuo himself points out, smart speakers are “one of the essential parts of the home ecosystem,” which means Apple really needs to have a HomePod or two on sale. The company is still “figuring out” how to succeed with the smart home kit, Kuo says.
We agree with this assessment: our list of features we want to see on a HomePod 2 is quite long, and this time around we’re hoping for Bluetooth connectivity, access to more music services and better Siri performance. .
Siri has long lagged Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant in the smart digital assistant stakes – it’s just not as extensive or as intuitive as its rivals. And he would much rather use Apple services and nothing else.
It’s a similar story when it comes to the smart home more broadly. Alexa and Google devices work with so many more devices than Apple HomeKit, which is a gap Apple will have to fill if it wants to catch up.