Apple has plans to launch a redesigned HomePod in the first half of 2024 with a 7 inch touch screen. That’s what analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests in his latest report on the brand on his Medium page.
According to him, the device “could allow for tighter integration with other Apple hardware products”, which would mark “a significant shift in the company’s smart home strategy”.
In that sense, the device could resemble Google’s Nest Hub smart displays or Amazon’s Echo Shows. Apple’s HomePods have small circular screens on top, but their functionality is limited and they’re effectively just a status indicator.
In April 2021, Bloomberg had already reported that Apple had plans to produce a next-generation speaker with a touch screen that would unite iPad with HomePod. There were also rumors that elements of an Apple TV set-top box and a HomePod speaker would be added.
Two years later, the same portal said the company was working on an iPad-style device designed to be used as a smart home controller and FaceTime calling device with magnetic closures. However, it was not known if the device would have the HomePod nomenclature.
