Apple is rumored to be considering the relaunch of its huge HomePod smart speaker, which was discontinued in 2021.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to bring back the HomePod in a new and improved version in 2023. However, for anyone who is expecting a major redesign to the larger sibling of the HomePod mini, the leaker says that we shouldn't expect much.
Gurman says that "the return of the larger HomePod size is still set for this year, but I wouldn’t expect anything revolutionary about it." The Bloomberg reporter says that one thing we can expect from the large version is a lower price, something that anyone who remembers the original HomePod will certainly agree is necessary for a new version to survive.
The original HomePod, which was first released in 2018, was a popular choice for those looking for high-quality sound in a smart speaker. However, it faced competition from other popular smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home, and ultimately failed to gain a significant market share. Apple was quickly priced out of the game, leading the company to discontinue the HomePod and eventually launch the HomePod mini for $99.
There's little to update outside of the price
Outside of an expected price drop, which will hopefully see the device come in at $199, Gurman says that we can also expect the new generation to feature an "updated touch control panel on the top and the S8 chip from the latest Apple Watches in a design similar to the model from 2018." Other than that, the rest of the HomePod experience is expected to remain the same.
Still, the potential relaunch of the HomePod is exciting news for Apple fans and those in the market for a high-quality smart speaker. The prospect of the larger speaker is especially exciting for those who like to use a HomePod as part of their home theater audio setup.
While it is still too early to know for sure what the new HomePod will look like or what features it will have, it is clear that Apple is interested in expanding its control of the smart speaker market.
