Apple HomePodSource: iMore

What you need to know

  • Bloomberg says Apple is working on a new HomePod with a screen attached.
  • The speaker is also said to have a FaceTime camera for video calls.

Apple is working on a new high-end HomePod with an iPad-like screen attached, according to a new Bloomberg report.

The device, which also has a FaceTime camera for video calls, would feature a robotic arm that would allow the screen to follow the user around the room, the report claims.

The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is also mulling the launch of a high-end speaker with a touch screen to better compete with market leaders Google and Amazon.com Inc., the people said. Such a device would combine an iPad with a HomePod speaker and also include a camera for video chat. Apple has explored connecting the iPad to the speaker with a robotic arm that can move to follow a user around a room, similar to Amazon's latest Echo Show gadget.

Bloomberg notes that the development of the HomePod is still in the early stages, suggesting that features could change or the product could be canceled altogether.

This comes after Apple recently canceled the original HomePod, leaving the popular HomePod mini as the only smart speaker currently on the company's roster. There plenty of other smart speakers in the market of course, with the Sonos One currently one of the best smart speakers available. That might all change if this rumored HomePod with a built-in iPad comes to market, though!

Apple is also said to be working on a new Apple TV with a HomePod built in according to the same Bloomberg report.