Apple could be readying new HomePod and smart home devices

guest · Aug 7, 2022

Updated HomePod, new HomePod mini rumored for 2023
August 7, 2022

Apple could be readying a new high-end HomePod, an updated HomePod mini as well as two other home devices that could see the light of the day around the end of 2023 or early 2024, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter.

Gurman says that Apple has “at least four new smart home devices in its labs, but not all will see the light of the day.” As of now, a new high-end HomePod seems more likely to be coming.
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As previously reported by the journalist, this new HomePod is codenamed B620, will run the same S8 chip of the future Apple Watch Series 8, and will be closer “in terms of size and audio performance” to the original HomePod rather than the mini version.

In the newsletter, Bloomberg‘s journalist also explores two home devices that could see the light of the day:

A kitchen device that combines an iPad and a speaker;

A living room device that combines an Apple TV, camera, and HomePod.

He believes one of these will launch at the end of next year or in early 2024.
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guest · Jan 18, 2023

Apple announces revamped full-size HomePod two years after discontinuing original
By Jon Porter @JonPorty - January 18, 2023

Apple has announced a new $299 HomePod smart speaker with a similar form factor to the original HomePod released in 2018. New features available with this second-generation model include support for the wireless protocol Thread and the smart home standard Matter, allowing the speaker to control compatible accessories, and an upgraded S7 chip first seen in the Apple Watch Series 7. It will be sold alongside the HomePod Mini, the smaller version of the speaker introduced in 2020. The new HomePod is available to order starting today and will begin shipping February 3rd.
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The second-generation HomePod has a single four-inch woofer paired with five tweeters, (down from seven in the original model) and a total of five microphones (down from seven).

New for this model are built-in temperature and humidity sensors that can be used as triggers for smart home automations. (There were reports that similar sensors were present in the HomePod Mini, but they’ve never been made available for consumer use.)
As well as its cheaper price, the HomePod Mini also introduced support for Thread — a smart home protocol that subsequently became an integral part of the Matter spec.
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The second-generation HomePod will be sold in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and 11 other markets, according to Apple. It’ll be available in either white or gray, with a “color-matched” power cable.
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Apple: Apple introduces the new HomePod with breakthrough sound and intelligence

January 18, 2023
Delivering incredible audio quality, enhanced Siri capabilities, and a safe and secure smart home experience
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guest · Jan 22, 2023

Gurman: Apple Not Working on New HomePod Mini
By Hartley Charlton @HartleyCharlton - January 22, 2023

Apple is likely not working on a new version of the HomePod mini smart speaker, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that he believes Apple is not "actively working" on a successor to the ‌HomePod mini‌:

After the debut of a new full-sized HomePod, many users started asking about an update to the mini model. But at this point, I don't believe that Apple is actively working on such as product. The latest HomePod doesn't include any major new functions that aren't already in the $99 mini, so there isn't an obvious reason to update the model. Sure, it would be nice to get more colors, a cheaper price, and better sound and microphones, but the real improvements probably need to be made on the back end — with Siri and app integration.
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In August 2022, Gurman said that Apple was considering launching an updated version of the HomePod mini in the future, but he did not provide a specific timeframe or details about potential new features. He said the update was unlikely to be "super-impressive," suggesting any changes to the ‌HomePod‌'s smaller sibling would be minor, but those plans now seem to have been shelved.
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