Apple is expected to release a third-generation HomePod with a 7-inch screen in the first half of 2024, predicts Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
It would be the first HomePod smart speaker to feature a full display, potentially appearing as a dual speaker and iPad.
- According to Kuo, the device could feature tighter integration with Apple's other hardware.
- It would represent a notable “shift in the company’s smart home strategy," he wrote in a Medium post.
- Chinese company Tianma is expected to manufacture the smart speaker's display panel, marking its first partnership with Apple.
- If all goes well, Apple may source panels for future iPads from the company, according to Kuo.
- Last summer, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple may be working on a HomePod with a speaker, FaceTime camera, and Apple TV function.
- Apple started shipping its second-generation HomePod in February after the first HomePod was discontinued in 2021
- The original device was replaced by the smaller and more affordable HomePod mini.
