Apple is working on what appears to be a revamped HomePod which will look and sound similar to the original version. A report from Bloomberg reveals that Apple is targeting 2023 as the launch of a new smart speaker.
As compared to the original HomePod discontinued a year ago, the new model is said to be powered by the S8 chip, the same processor that will also power Apple’s forthcoming Watch Series 8. It remains to be seen how powerful this chip would be compared to the A8 processor on the original HomePod. Furthermore, Gurman also believes the new HomePod will have an updated display on the top that might feature multi-touch capability.
Last year, Apple announced that it will no longer sell the original HomePod in the market. The Siri-powered smart speaker made its debut in 2017. Unfortunately, despite the Apple-brand name and exceptional audio quality, the HomePod was a commercial failure. The HomePod debuted at $349, which put it at the higher end of smart speaker pricing. A year later price dropped to $299 which also didn’t help Apple to sell the HomePod to the masses. In 2020, Apple debuted the smaller, cheaper HomePod mini for $99 which was well-received critically and commercially. In fact, the HomePod mini was reportedly the best-selling smart speaker during the first quarter of this year, beating both Amazon’s Echo Dot and Google’s Nest mini.
The next-generation HomePod has been anticipated for months, but the question is how will Apple market the revamped HomePod and at what price. Interestingly, Apple has another HomePod in the works, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. It could be a smart speaker that combines a HomePod, Apple TV and FaceTime camera, similar to Amazon’s Echo Show 10.
But the revamped HomePod could be one of the new products Apple is planning to launch in the coming months. The tech giant is reportedly on a number of new products, including four new iPhone 14 models, a set of new iPads, updated M2/M3 Macs, second-generation AirPods Pro, a new HomePod and a new Apple TV model.
