Apple may be working on an Amazon Echo Show rival
“Alexa, watch your back”
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IsApplepreparing to shake up its lackluster smart home lineup?
As first reported by Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman in his latestPower On newsletter, the tech giant is supposedly working on “at least four” new smart home products – with aHomePod 2, an updatedHomePod miniand several never-before-seen devices expected to be among that number.
Not all of the in-development devices will make it to market, Gurman suggests, but it’s thought that the new HomePod and HomePod mini will be joined by a kitchen-based smart display and a living room device designed to connect an Apple TV, camera and HomePod.
The first of the latter two devices is described as being a smart speaker bearing a screen “resembling an iPad” – which sounds, to us, like it could be Apple’s attempt to rivalAmazon’s flagshipEcho Showhome assistant.
Gurman’s report marks the first time we’ve heard either device mentioned in detail online – though rumors of aspeaker-sized Apple TVhave been swirling for several months now – and he writes that at least one of them could arrive late next year or in early 2024.
As for news of the HomePod 2 (codenamed B620), Gurman had previously joinedApple analyst Ming-Chi Kuoinreporting its ongoing development. The device is expected to run the same S8 chip as theApple Watch 8, and is slated to arrive towards the end of this year.
It remains unclear what upgrades might be headed the way of a refreshed HomePod mini, though we’d anticipate a form factor redesign and the addition of Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio support (a feature boasted by its larger sibling).
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Applediscontinued the HomePodproper in March of last year to focus on the upkeep of the mini, which (it’s presumed) enjoyed far stronger sales in the year following its October 2020 launch. It therefore came as a surprise to hear that the original HomePod might be getting an upgrade before the mini – though both devices now appear in line for a successor.
As mentioned, the HomePod 2 (or whatever Apple ends up calling it) is expected to arrive either late this year or early 2023. For everything we know so far about a sequel to Apple’s flagship smart home device, head over to ourdedicated hub.
Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
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