The HomePod was expertly dismissed by Apple, but now it seems to be making a real comeback. We tell you what we know so far about the smart speaker. Will we see it in September?
We have fond memories of Apple’s HomePod, despite the fact that it didn’t support Dutch. Yet Apple’s smart speaker didn’t sell well enough, as the company decided to stop offering it. Nowadays, only the HomePod mini is available. As mentioned, this one is a lot smaller and cheaper. Yet the bigger brother seems to be coming back.
Welcome HomePod
The first generation of the HomePod dates back to 2018. Friend and foe praised the smart speaker for its sound quality. Yet a major millstone hung around its neck: the price. After all, who wants to pay $349 for it? With the mini came a great alternative at a much cheaper price ($99). Yet there is a drawback: it cannot match the sound quality of the HomePod. Apple is now going to try again with a larger variant.
Several rumors are circulating about a new HomePod. According to reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, the new version of the speaker is closer in size and sound to the original variant than its little brother.
The mini is here! (Image: Apple)
Specs and release
Of course, it’s not just about size, but also what you can do with it. If rumors are to be believed, the new HomePod will have an improved touchscreen on the top. In addition, it will probably have the Apple S8 processor, or in other words probably the same as the one used in the Apple Watch Series 8.
The big question, of course, is when we can expect the new HomePod. Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects it in the fourth quarter of 2022 or the first of 2023. It is therefore possible that we will already see it during the iPhone 14 presentation that is presumably scheduled for September 7. Unfortunately, there is no news about the price.
Yet it does not seem to be the only HomePod in the works. For example, according to several sources, Apple is working on a device that combines the HomePod and Apple TV and also has a camera for FaceTime. What we know for sure is that this one will not come to market before 2023 anyway.