The HomePod 3 is expected to make some pretty radical improvements over the last model, but we haven’t received much official information yet. Just a few months ago, eagle-eyed users spotted a code in the third beta version of tvOS 17.4, alluding to the new device and suggesting that the third smart speaker with a display is on the way.
The infamous HomePod with a display has been in development for three years but skipped the HomePod 2 early last year. The HomePod 3 is said to not only receive this display but also other advances in technology that could one day be combined with Apple‘s AI to make the smart device much smarter. It has been reported that Apple will combine FaceTime, Apple TV, and HomePod into a single device in 2022, and fans are hoping Apple’s next Home Pod will be the one to do it. Recent reports have even shown what the long-awaited display will look like.
Here’s everything we know about the Apple Homepod 3 right now.
HomePod 3: the headlines
What is it? A HomePod smart speaker, potentially with a screen and an AI Siri upgrade, or maybe even a new entry in a whole new line of home robotics products.
When can we expect it? September/October is possible should there be a WWDC 2024 reveal. But realistically, this could happen next year or beyond.
Key updates? An alleged display capable of displaying FaceTime and video, Apple TV integration, and Siri AI updates.
HomePod 3: expected release date
The million-dollar question is when we will see the HomePod 3 in person. Provided there is some kind of announcement about it at WWDC 2024, we may be able to see a launch as early as September/October 2024, but the smart money will launch in early 2025, two years after the launch. of the HomePod 2.
HomePod 3: Design
The integration of a display into the current HomePod presents some design issues. Faced with the same challenge of adding a screen to what is essentially a large speaker, Amazon has adopted a few different designs. The Show Model 8 looks more like an iPad designed to sit on a desk, but we don’t think Apple wants to go in this direction since it already has the iPad line.
Instead, a look at the Echo Show 10 gives us a good example of a product that still looks a lot like a speaker but has an integrated screen whose position can be adjusted by the user. And if Apple’s robotic ambitions are to be believed, the screen could sit on the end of a robotic arm that tracks the position of your head, so that it always looks directly at you as you move around the room. The overall effect would be no different from the old angled iMac G3, which was a notable design success in Apple’s past.
Alternatively, we could imagine a HomePod 3 that looks like a speaker with a built-in screen that occupies the area where the Siri colored lights currently rotate on the existing HomePod mini and HomePod 2, and a camera perhaps built into the base. This would be the closest to the most recent reports.
We’d love to see the HomePod line eventually incorporate a robot that follows you around your home, tending to your every need. Inspired by existing Roomba-like robots that clean your home, a full-featured home robot could look like anything from a robot pet (think AIBO, Sony’s robotic puppy) to something that looks more like R2-D2 or even C3-PO. from Star Wars. We’re entering the realms of science fiction, but the future could be closer than you think. Recent rumors suggest that Apple is now investing heavily in robotics alongside its artificial intelligence ambitions, following the closure of its self-driving car division.
The lack of an official release from Apple hasn’t stopped people from coming up with some HomePod 3 concepts they’d love to see. In 2022, the Swiss website Handy Abovergleich produced some concept designs for an integrated Apple TV and HomePod. More recently, designer Justin Latham went in the other direction and produced a HomePod Nano design, which is smaller and more alarm clock-like.
HomePod 3: Price
Apple’s HomePod 2 costs $299 at the Apple Store, while the HomePod mini costs $99. If the HomePod 3 features a screen, then we hope the $299 price can be maintained, especially considering that the Echo Show 10, with a screen, is only $249 on Amazon.com. But considering the potential for this to eat some of the iPad line’s lunch, be prepared to spend upwards of $500 on any device that essentially combines an iPad and a HomePod into a single unit.
HomePod 3: Connecting to your smart home
While Apple has made some inroads into the smart home market with HomeKit and the Home app, it certainly isn’t there yet. While you can now use an Apple TV as a hub to control your smart home devices, and also the existing HomePod and HomePod mini, it certainly seems like Apple could use a device that looks more like and acts more like a central hub from which Control your smart home devices with ease. A HomePod with a dedicated display would fit that bill perfectly, allowing you to access a security camera or choose which smart lights to turn on or off.
As much as Apple users hate to admit it, Amazon is winning the Alexa/Siri war right now. Alexa simply acts better as a virtual assistant, and devices from Amazon and Google tend to be cheaper. Apple could still win here, though, because we get the feeling that no one trusts Alexa to not analyze their data to try to sell them things. People respect Apple’s highest level of security and privacy, not to mention Apple’s seamless integration between devices. The HomePod 3 could be the device that convinces people that it’s safe to enter the smart home market.
HomePod 3: Siri gets serious with AI
Finally, consider what an AI boost to Siri could mean for the HomePod 3. We already know that Apple has been generating its own Apple GPT chatbots for use within the enterprise, and we have high hopes for an AI boost to Siri in iOS18. at this year’s WWDC.
Chatting with Siri on the HomePod 3 and having it respond would be a game changer. Imagine getting answers to your questions instead of the usual “This is what I found on the web” response. This would completely change your concept of web searching and you might no longer need Google to get simple answers to simple questions.
The possibilities of merging AI with your smart home could be exciting. Could you ask the light on your refrigerator to turn off the words of the national anthem in Morse code? Maybe. Or maybe when you ask the HomePod 3 to open the garage doors it will respond with a shuddering, “Sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
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