HomePod Turns 8: Here's When to Expect New Models

Eight years agone today, Apple introduced the HomePod, a astute talker that it said would supply "amazing dependable prime and intelligence" successful the home.


"Apple reinvented portable euphony with iPod and present HomePod volition reinvent however we bask euphony wirelessly passim our homes," said Apple's erstwhile selling main Phil Schiller, successful a June 2017 property merchandise announcing the HomePod.

While the archetypal HomePod's dependable prime did impressment reviewers erstwhile it launched, Apple mostly failed to present connected the quality front. Siri is widely considered to beryllium inferior to different fashionable dependable assistants, similar Amazon's Alexa, and the emergence of chatbots similar OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini person acceptable Siri adjacent further back.

Apple went connected to motorboat the HomePod mini successful November 2020, earlier making the astonishment determination to discontinue the full-size HomePod successful March 2021. At the time, Apple said that it discontinued the full-size HomePod successful bid to absorption its efforts connected the HomePod mini, but declining income were besides apt a factor. Somewhat unexpectedly, the HomePod past started fetching higher prices connected resale marketplaces similar eBay, and Apple decided to release a second-generation full-size HomePod with immoderate flimsy changes successful January 2023.

What's Next?

There person not been immoderate rumors astir a third-generation HomePod, but astatine slightest 2 different HomePod products are allegedly successful the pipeline.

In a January 2025 variation of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was aiming to merchandise a caller HomePod mini "toward the extremity of the year." He said the talker volition beryllium equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, but it is unclear if that alteration volition person immoderate user benefits. There is nary connection yet connected what different caller features are planned, but improved dependable prime and a newer spot are harmless bets. The existent HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip.


Apple is besides rumored to beryllium readying an all-new astute location hub, which has been described arsenic a HomePod with a screen. The instrumentality is expected to person a quadrate iPad-like surface that tin beryllium attached to a talker base, oregon it tin beryllium mounted connected a wall.

Apple's astute location hub volition reportedly diagnostic a 6-inch oregon 7-inch display, on with an A18 chip. It would let users to power astute location accessories, marque FaceTime video calls, usage Apple's intercom diagnostic betwixt rooms successful a house, and more. It mightiness adjacent treble arsenic a location information strategy with an Apple-designed astute location camera.

In March, Apple proviso concatenation expert Ming-Chi Kuo said that the HomePod with a surface would enter wide accumulation successful the 3rd 4th of 2025, but it is unclear if it volition motorboat this twelvemonth oregon adjacent year. Apple delayed the personalized Siri features that are expected to beryllium astatine the halfway of the device, truthful possibly adjacent twelvemonth is simply a safer stake astatine this point. However, Apple could inactive supply an aboriginal preview of the location hub astatine immoderate constituent now.
This article, "HomePod Turns 8: Here's When to Expect New Models" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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