Apple is reportedly working on a new full-sized smart speaker that will come with a number of upgrades. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed in his Power On newsletter that the Smartphone company is developing a new HomePod speaker that will look and sound similar to the original 2018 model.
Gurman says the new model will feature Apple’s forthcoming S8 chip and an updated display on the top of the speaker that may include multi-touch feature. For context, the HomePod mini features an S5 chip, suggesting the new model will come with more processing power.
Apple will also equip the upcoming HomePod with a new display that might even have support for multi-touch.
Another feature not stated but which the new Siri-powered speaker should have is an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip. This is a feature present on the HomePod mini but which isn’t available on the first-gen model.
There are multiple functions for the UWB chip but one of the use cases on the HomePod mini is to allow users to wirelessly handoff playback from their iPhone to the speaker or vice-versa.
Also, when an iPhone with a UWB chip is brought close to the speaker, playback controls automatically appear on the screen without the need to unlock it first.
There is no specified date for the release of the new HomePod, however Gurman’s report claims the launch date should be between the fall of 2022 and the first half of 2023.
There is also no mention of how much it will cost but considering the original HomePod eventually got a permanent price cut to $299 after it launched, Apple might decide to stick to this pricing for the new model rather than announcing a higher price at launch and then slashing it later.
The company’s first speaker was the HomePod, a $349 cylindrical device with best-in-class audio performance but a less-than-stellar experience in terms of its smart features.
A few years after its launch, specifically on March 12, 2021, Apple announced the original HomePod had been discontinued. But before that, in late 2020, Apple launched the HomePod mini – a cute little speaker with a $99 price tag and support for streaming services other than Apple Music.
In the first quarter of 2022, it earned the title of the best-selling smart speaker in the world.
