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After Apple discontinued the original HomePod last year, users were excited for a new iteration of the company’s larger smart speaker. Though the mini version is slowly expanding around the world, Apple feels Apple’s audio ecosystem is missing a more powerful speaker.
Given new rumours, it’s possible that the company will be unveiling a new HomePod soon. Here’s what we know so far.
Design of the new HomePod
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in May 2022 that the potential new HomePod will likely remain the design people already know. Describing the new smart speaker, Kuo said, “There may not be much innovation in hardware design.”
While the original model had beautiful looks with amazing sound capabilities, it wouldn’t be a big deal if a new model would feature the same design.
Another possibility for a new version has been rumored Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman for a while. The journalist says a new HomePod would be a combination of the Apple TV, the smart speaker and a FaceTime device.
Apple seems to recognize this and is developing a combined Apple TV, HomePod and FaceTime camera home hub device that should launch around 2023. Will this version finally improve Apple’s offering in the living room? Only time can tell. But if the next major overhaul doesn’t go well, it might be time for Apple to put the Apple TV on the same shelf as other living room products like the iPod HiFi and high-end HomePod.
Features: U1 chip, Dolby Atmos, lossless support, more
It is not yet known what features a new HomePod could offer, although one can guarantee that it will have AirPlay 2 compatibility, lossless and Dolby Atmos support and deeper integration with all Apple devices.
It would also be nice if this product had the U1 chip to quickly transfer songs between an iPhone and the smart speaker and eARC compatibility so it could be used as a main TV speaker connecting to an Apple TV 4K is.
9to5Mac‘s Filipe Espósito thinks that a feature this product should have is a true surround mode. He explains:
Because HomePod supports Dolby Atmos, a technology that enables three-dimensional sound, a true surround mode would take the experience of using the product as a TV speaker to the next level.
Imagine being able to set up four HomePods in your living room, each serving as an independent audio channel. Or even if there was an option to set up a 5.1 surround system using a larger HomePod as a subwoofer, that would be killer.
How much will the new HomePod cost?
If one of the reasons the original HomePod didn’t sell well was its price — Apple even lowered it from $350 to $300 at one point — a new HomePod could likely cost anywhere from $100 to $300.
It all depends on the features and hardware that Apple will offer. While a new product that combines the smart speaker with an Apple TV could certainly cost close to $300, perhaps just the smart speaker could cost around $200 as Apple still sells the HomePod mini for $99 .
When Apple will release a new HomePod
Last year, BloombergMark Gurman said that this new Apple TV + HomePod product would launch as early as 2023.
Although these could be different products, analyst Ming Chi-Kuo believes a new HomePod will launch in late 2022 or early 2023.
“Apple would release a new version of HomePod in the 4Q22-1Q23, and there might not be a lot of innovation in hardware design.”
Wrap up
So far, these are the rumors of a new iteration of Apple’s version of a smart speaker device. 9to5Mac‘s Zac Hall wrote why we’re excited to see a new HomePod soon:
Larger HomePods are great for the living room, while smaller versions are better suited around the house. Hopefully, Apple has found a way to get closer to the original HomePod in terms of quality, but without the hefty price tag that limited its appeal to the masses.
Are you excited for a new generation of this product? Do share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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