Whereas it’s exhausting to foretell with any certainty what Apple is as much as relating to its HomePod — or something in its front room product lineup — we’ve seen various persistent rumors over the previous few years that recommend the corporate’s all in favour of equipping its good speaker with a show. Now, new code present in tvOS 17.4 provides extra proof that such a tool may really make a debut someday this yr.
In fact, it’s not shocking that Apple would at the least be pursuing that line of considering because it’s the one mainstream good residence platform that lacks the idea of a central residence hub like Amazon’s Echo Present and Google’s Nest Hub — to not point out Google’s Pixel Pill that’s designed to tug double-duty by letting you dock it centrally in your house. Positive, you may flip an iPad right into a Residence Hub — Apple’s Residence app is kind of good at that — nevertheless it’s nonetheless not practically as elegant as a devoted display screen and speaker combo.
Apple appears to consider that Siri must be adequate for residence management — an ironic place contemplating that Amazon and Google have gone in the wrong way, and Apple’s Residence app predates their makes an attempt to transcend only a voice management interface.
Sadly, as nice as HomeKit is relating to providing sturdy automation options, it’s at all times felt like an afterthought for Apple, which has its fingers full sufficient with flagship merchandise just like the iPhone and the Imaginative and prescient Professional. Final yr was additionally the primary yr we didn’t see even a single new iPad launch, and whereas Apple is sort of positive to rectify that subsequent month, it exhibits how thinly unfold the corporate’s design and engineering groups could also be. Apple has at all times run lean and imply in comparison with different massive tech firms.
In consequence, a few of the rumors we hear surrounding Apple’s “B-list” merchandise, just like the HomePod, could also be virtually completely correct — they only take longer to come back to fruition than many count on.
That’s seemingly the case with the HomePod. In spite of everything, we’ve been listening to stable experiences for years now that Apple is as much as one thing with its good speaker, however probably the most respected sources have additionally urged that Apple is taking part in the lengthy recreation right here.
Solely months after Apple blindsided everybody by discontinuing the full-sized HomePod in early 2021, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed that Apple was engaged on a extra superior and highly effective HomePod that might be its “most formidable smart-home {hardware} providing up to now.” Nevertheless, he additionally made it clear that such a tool was in “early improvement,” and we shouldn’t maintain our breath about seeing it anytime quickly.
As a substitute, we obtained a second-generation HomePod final yr that was just about indistinguishable from the one Apple had discontinued two years prior. This led some to surrender hope that Apple had something extra formidable, however no sooner did Apple’s barely revised good speaker hit the market than rumors appeared {that a} new HomePod with a seven-inch show would arrive in early 2024.
These started to gel final fall when affirmation appeared of an advanced-stage prototype of a HomePod with an LCD panel on prime. In line with the oldsters at 9to5Mac, sources described it as a tool code-named B720 and indicated it was being “actively labored on by Apple.”
Nevertheless, leaked photos urged no vital design modifications past the display screen. As a substitute, if these have been correct, we’d be a HomePod practically similar to the one we’ve recognized for years, with the most important change being a full LCD touchscreen on prime the place we now solely have a colourful glowing dot.
On the time, 9to5Mac additionally reported that Apple was modifying the tvOS variations of Apple Music and Apple Podcasts to work on completely different show codecs. Since these are used solely on normal tv units linked to an Apple TV, these modifications would presumably solely be wanted to adapt them for the HomePod, which additionally runs tvOS below the hood.
Now, 9to5Mac has shared info on code discovered within the newest tvOS 17.4 beta launched this week that lists one other new machine with the identifier “Z314” at present being examined with each inside improvement and manufacturing {hardware}.
Whereas that may very well be a next-generation Apple TV, that doesn’t appear to suit. Firstly, it runs the identical A15 Bionic chip already used within the 2022 third-generation Apple TV 4K. There doesn’t appear to be a lot level in Apple releasing a brand new model of its set-top field powered by the identical chip; if the corporate have been planning a brand new model to introduce another new capabilities, it will nonetheless be extra prone to bump it to the A16.
Nevertheless, the second and extra fascinating level is that tvOS 17.4 beta 3 provides new SwiftUI person interface frameworks and different associated instruments to the HomePod model of the firmware. Because the HomePod because it exists in the present day has no person interface, there’s no want for any UI components in its working system, so the addition of those suggests one is coming.
A number of months in the past, we additionally noticed a report that Apple was internally operating a model of tvOS 17.2 on a “modified” sixth-generation iPad mini, which additionally makes use of the A15 Bionic chip. It’s unclear whether or not this may very well be linked to a HomePod with a show or a separate machine that’s extra of a house hub than a speaker, however both means, it’s not a traditional factor for an iPad.
The distinctive inside mannequin numbers B720 and Z314 recommend that Apple may very well be engaged on two completely different units. The B720 nonetheless appears to be a typical HomePod with an LCD display screen on prime that’s nonetheless primarily a wise speaker, whereas the Z314 may very well be one thing extra akin to a full-screen residence hub because it seems to have extra refined person interface components and be tied right into a extra iPad-sized show.
It’s troublesome to know proper now what such a tool will appear like; idea artists have been having a ball sketching out concepts for the previous few years, starting from an Apple model of an Echo Present to a HomePod with an iPad connected to an articulating arm, however thus far we haven’t seen any concrete leaks of something greater than the “B720” model that would simply be mistaken for the standard second-generation HomePod.
Both means, it seems like at the least considered one of these units may lastly be making an look this yr, presumably at the same time as quickly as Apple’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC) in June, as that’s the place the corporate has sometimes proven off its residence merchandise over the previous few years. We’ll have to attend and see what materializes, but when Apple is definitely engaged on one thing that’s near launch, there’s probability we’ll hear extra from the same old sources as June approaches.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]