According to 9to5Mac, Apple is working on a home accessory that could well be the long-rumored HomePod with display. From the report:
° The device will be powered by an A18 processor.
° It has a squarish display rather than an iPad-ish rectangular design.
° It has a built-in camera that works for FaceTime and other video conferencing apps.
° The device uses the camera to identify hand gestures from a distance.
° The device can run apps and play media on its own, but it will also work as an AirPlay receiver.
A HomePod with a built-in display has been rumored for at least two years. In a May 2022 Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple is working on a new HomePod product that combines a speaker, Apple TV functions, and a FaceTime camera.
“I absolutely do think a new HomePod is coming — specifically, a device that combines a HomePod, Apple TV and FaceTime camera,” he wrote. “I don’t think a big stand-alone HomePod is still in development, but perhaps a new HomePod mini is coming. In any case, the combination product will probably be at the center of Apple’s approach, with HomePod minis surrounding that throughout the home.”
And Apple has filed for a patent (number 20220042676) for an “electronic device with visual feedback” that hints at a HomePod with a built-in display.
Of course, as I’ve said before, I want a device that combines a HomePod with video with an Apple TV AND a router. I want such a combo that brings back the features of the late, lamented AirPort line-up that Apple abandoned in 2016.
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