The unique Apple HomePod was once a few of the best wireless speakers available on the market, ahead of it was once unceremoniously discontinued in March 2021 and the corporate elected to concentrate on the smaller and less expensive Apple HomePod mini.
Whilst the Apple HomePod mini is an improbable speaker in its personal proper, its small stature and occasional value makes us doubt that Apple wouldn’t liberate a follow-up to its authentic flagship smart speaker, in a bid to compete with extra tough fashions just like the Amazon Echo Studio and the Sonos One.
Since Apple discontinued the HomePod, we’ve observed quite a few patents that might recommend that the corporate is having a look to create a brand new HomePod fashion – the so-called Apple HomePod 2 – and it’s going to even include a show, if rumors are to be believed.
To this point, Apple hasn’t showed whether or not the HomePod 2 in reality exists, this means that that we will’t say needless to say whether or not it’ll materialize any time quickly – however that hasn’t stopped us from dreaming about all of the options we’d like to look from the tech massive’s subsequent good speaker.
[Update: We’re not expecting to see the HomePod 2 at Apple’s next event on September 14 (that’s tomorrow), but we are expecting to see the iPhone 13, and maybe even the AirPods 3. The 2021 event starts at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm BST (that’s 1am ACT September 15 in Australia). Apple has made this a virtual event, so you’ll be able to watch along while all the new gadgets are being revealed – check out our article on how to watch the iPhone 13 launch for everything you need to know.]
Lower to the chase
- What’s it? The following Apple HomePod good speaker.
- When will or not it’s launched? That’s nonetheless TBC.
- How a lot will it price? Most probably very similar to the unique HomePod ($349 / £319 / AU$499).
Apple HomePod 2 liberate date
There’s no phrase but on when the Apple HomePod 2 might be launched – or certainly if it in reality exists – and there was once no point out of the good speaker at Apple’s first event of 2021.
Certainly, we may well be ready some time to look the HomePod 2. In a Bloomberg report by way of Mark Gurman at the lately came upon temperature sensors within the Apple HomePod mini, Gurman says that, “ahead of the discontinuation of the bigger HomePod, the corporate were operating on an up to date model for liberate in 2022. It has additionally been creating new audio system with monitors and cameras, however this type of release isn’t drawing close”.
Apple HomePod 2 value
Once more, there’s no phrase on a possible value for the Apple HomePod 2, but when it’s some other full-sized HomePod versus the HomePod mini, we’d be expecting it to price about the similar as the unique good speaker.
When it introduced in 2018, the Apple HomePod price $349 / £319 / AU$499, making it one of the dear good audio system available on the market – and undoubtedly the most costly mainstream possibility.
That’s why we have been shocked when the Apple HomePod mini was once launched in 2020 for simply $99 / £99 / AU$149. We’re hoping that, despite the fact that the following HomePod is full-size, Apple will discover a glad medium between the 2 value issues.
Apple HomePod 2 rumors
To this point we’ve heard a couple of Apple HomePod 2 rumors that would possibly let us know what the following good speaker might be like.
HomePod with a display?
One of the vital attention-grabbing rumors is that the HomePod 2 may just include a display, just like the Amazon Echo Show 10 and the Google Nest Hub 2.
The scoop that Apple is probably operating on a HomePod good show, is usually a just right indication that the corporate is renewing its focal point on good house compatibility.
Plus, as MacRumors’ Steve Moser came upon within the tvOS 14.5 beta code, Apple has added FaceTime and iMessage frameworks, in addition to a brand new AVFCapture framework associated with shooting photographs.
Apple makes use of tvOS as the root for the instrument that runs at the HomePod, slightly than iOS – and that implies messaging and video calls may just come to a long term HomePod good show, too.
Smarter than your moderate good speaker
Whether or not the following HomePod is a great show or a typical good speaker, it has the possible to be very artful. A newly-uncovered patent displays that Apple has ambitions for its good audio system to paintings along its rumored Apple VR headsets.
The patent describes an audio speaker device this is provided with further microphones and depth-sensing cameras. In tandem, they’d be capable to pinpoint a person’s place in a room, and tailor a 3D audio revel in to fit what’s being observed in a digital truth surroundings.
From what we will collect from the patent, a person with a number of HomePods arrange may just experience adaptive and surrounding audio with out the will for headphones or on-device audio system like what you notice with the Oculus Quest headsets. Say there’s a digital cat for your VR revel in – strolling in opposition to it will build up the quantity of its meow from a HomePod Mini, for example.
This is able to additionally paintings in two manner verbal exchange packages – a person with a an identical arrange in different places may just transmit their spatial audio data to some other person in VR with the similar arrange, and each would be capable to determine sound coming from the opposite in three-D area.
The patent additionally is going to explain how this may well be used for business functions, and lays out how a recording and transmission device may well be arrange at a reside track tournament, and beamed to a VR headset with the ensuing spatial audio data.
As with all patented era, there’s no make it possible for those options will if truth be told materialize – however they do give us a captivating perception into the way forward for Apple audio system.
The Apple HomePod mini might be offering a couple of clues as to the options we’ll see from the following HomePod, too.
A integrated temperature sensor?
The HomePod mini accommodates a hidden sensor that may measure temperature and humidity – probably unlocking new and thrilling options for the machine sooner or later.
A contemporary document from Bloomberg highlighted the prior to now undiscovered characteristic, describing a sensor which might permit “internet-connected thermostats [to] alter other portions of a house in accordance with present prerequisites.”
The {hardware} may just additionally let the HomePod mini robotically interact different movements relying on temperature – reminiscent of activating a fan – which implies the machine would possibly see a bunch of capability upgrades in long term instrument updates.
It’s imaginable that those capability upgrades may just come to the HomePod 2 as neatly, if Apple comes to a decision to incorporate those sensors in a long term fashion.
Apple HomePod 2: what we need to see
Whilst data at the Apple HomePod 2 continues to be skinny at the floor, there are some things we’d like to look from the rumored good speaker.
Bluetooth connectivity
Certain, good audio system are all about voice controls, and the truth that they’re standalone units that don’t want to be hooked as much as some other audio supply with a view to play again tunes and podcasts. However, once in a while, a couple of added choices are simply handy – particularly if you happen to’re looking to play again a observe that, for no matter explanation why, can’t be discovered at the good speaker’s streaming carrier of selection.
It might not be leading edge within the good speaker international, however there’s nonetheless the peculiar instance when a Bluetooth speaker can be helpful, and it’s a characteristic that was once offered with the HomePod mini.
If the HomePod 2 is in a similar way tied to Apple Tune, that’d be in particular helpful for any person having a look to get entry to, say, Spotify streaming. Which brings us onto our subsequent level…
Open get entry to to different track products and services
If you purchase some of the present Apple HomePod audio system, you’re necessarily locking your self into Apple’s audio ecosystem. So, iTunes purchases apart, that’s $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$11.99 a month for a unmarried Apple Tune streaming account, or $14.99 / £14.99 / AU$17.99 for a circle of relatives account.
That’s tremendous if you happen to’re an iPhone-owning Cupertino disciple, and Apple Tune is a tremendous carrier for sure price making an investment in. However, if you happen to’ve already dedicated to Spotify or Google Play Tune or any of the opposite myriad smaller streaming choices, that may be a irritating restriction.
By means of knocking a couple of bricks out of its walled lawn and letting different products and services take a look in may just give a brand new Apple HomePod a person base spice up – and it may well be paired with incentives to leap to Apple Tune, if Apple performed a savvy long-game.
Higher Siri efficiency
Apple’s HomePod does neatly on sound however in terms of smarts it’s reasonably missing. In comparison to Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, Siri is slightly restricted in what it may possibly do for you as a wise house hub. This isn’t nice bearing in mind it’s one of the dear good audio system available on the market, and Siri is your major approach of controlling it.
With that during thoughts, we’d love to look higher Siri efficiency in a brand new HomePod iteration in terms of appearing instructions temporarily and appropriately.
#TechRadar,olivia.tambini@futurenet.com , 2021-09-13 10:40:42 ,
