First Apple HomePod with Display Coming in 2024: Report

Image: Apple

Apple could launch a completely redesigned HomePod with a built-in 7-inch touchscreen by the first half of 2024, according to a report from 9to5Mac.

The information comes from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said in a post microblogging platform Medium that that the display for this revamped HomePod will be supplied by Tianma. If all goes well with the order, Kuo said that Tianma could graduate to supplying iPad displays to Apple as well.

Furthermore, Kuo speculated that having a built-in display on the HomePod will allow for “tighter integration with Apple’s other hardware products, marking a significant shift in the company’s smart home strategy.”

Apple launched its second-generation HomePod earlier this year, sporting largely the same design as the original from 2017. The device described by Kuo, however, would represent a major departure from the HomePod’s current design and functionality philosophy.

Kuo reported last month that Apple could launch a second-gen HomePod mini in late 2024. However, his comments conflicted with an earlier report from oft-accurate Apple insider Mark Gurman, which indicated that Apple wasn’t planning a successor to the HomePod mini at all.

Could Apple pivot to an entirely new kind of HomePod entirely? That could be likely, considering the company has also beefed up development efforts for HomePod software as it rethinks its smart home strategy and makes a play for a larger chunk of the market.

Last year, Bloomberg reported that Apple is working on a new tablet-like device that combines the functionality of the iPad, Apple TV, and HomePod. The rumour mill also suggests that the company is playing around with the idea of an iPad-like device that can be easily docked and can control HomeKit-enabled smart home devices, play video, and more.

As of yet, it is unclear if either of these devices are the same as the new HomePod Kuo said is coming with a 7-inch display. Either way, it looks like we’ll soon see Apple’s HomePod in an entirely new form factor.

What do you think about a potential HomePod with a touchscreen display and greater smart home integration? Let us know in the comments below.

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