Over the past few years, we've heard so many rumors of Apple's work on new HomePods and home accessories that it's sometimes challenging to make sense of them all. However, they've recently begun to coalesce into two or three specific products. If all the rumors are true, we can expect to see at least two of these arrive next year.
Reports that Apple's HomePod was destined for a significant upgrade first appeared in 2021, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman sharing information from his sources of "early development of a HomePod speaker with a built-in screen" that would be joined by "a device that combines the features of a HomePod, FaceTime camera, and Apple TV."
However, Gurman wasn't able to be more specific than that, and it's likely Apple hadn't even decided which direction to take. This led to plenty of speculation on what we might see next in the living room, from an Apple TV with a FaceTime camera to an iPad and HomePod speaker combo or a giant iPad for the home to rival Amazon's Echo Show.
Even though Gurman was clear that Apple's plans were very preliminary, rumors also began circulating that the new devices were just around the corner. The fact that Apple had suddenly discontinued the full-sized HomePod only four months after introducing specific new Home Theatre Audio features for it in tvOS 14.2 and added HomePod-specific features to the 2021 Apple TV 4K after the product was dropped just added to the mystery of what Apple was up to.
However, instead of the highly-anticipated "HomePod Pro," we ended up with a second-generation HomePod in early 2023 that was essentially a reintroduction of the original discontinued model. It had a newer chip and additional sensors, but it certainly wasn't the screen-equipped version we had heard rumored for nearly two years prior.
Since then, Apple's home product lineup has become very quiet, with nothing more than software releases to tide us over in what is now almost a two-year gap between any new living room accessories. So, it's fair to say that we're due for some movement on that front next year. If 2024 was the year Apple's wearables took center stage, then 2025 could be the year of the Apple smart home.
Things are starting to take shape on this front; previously vague rumors of display-equipped HomePods and smart panels are beginning to become more specific. Last month, Gurman shared Apple's purported plans for a wall-mounted Home Hub, with some tangible specs and even an internal codename of J490. He added that sources say it's now a priority for Tim Cook, who hopes the new product can help "make Apple a force in the smart home segment."
However, this rumored product is merely a smart home display -- there's no HomePod attached. That doesn't mean Apple isn't also at work on that front, and several reports have pointed to a HomePod with a full LCD screen, although it may not be as exciting as you think.
Earlier this year, code found in tvOS 17.4 pointed to a device codenamed Z314 that was already in testing. It indicated that it would be powered by an A15 chip and include new UI frameworks for a touchscreen interface. There was also another device, codenamed B720, which most sources now believe is a standard HomePod with the top panel swapped out for an LCD screen.
On the other hand, Z314 may be the HomePod with a seven-inch display that we heard rumors about in early 2023, not long after the second-generation HomePod was released.
Kuo predicted that it would arrive in early 2024, which, of course, we know hasn't happened. However, this is par for the course for the analyst, who often has a better idea of what Apple is up to than when it will happen. Kuo weighed in today on Medium to say it's still coming but has simply been "delayed multiple times" due to software development problems.
The device is likely to be a combination of a smart hub and HomePod rather than strictly a smart speaker. Kuo says it will have an A18 processor, a 6-7-inch display, and support Apple Intelligence. Other than the specifics about the chip and the AI features, neither of which existed in 2023, this aligns with his original prediction in everything except the timing.
Specifically, Kuo said in 2023 that this new HomePod would mark "a significant shift in the company's smart home strategy," which he echoes today in saying that it's a "strategic repositioning of the HomePod product line." He compared the HomePod's transition from smart speaker to home hub to the Apple Watch shifting from "an iPhone accessory and fashion product to a health management device."
Kuo also reiterated his November report that Apple plans to release a smart home camera in early 2025, adding that it will "tightly integrate" with the display-equipped HomePod. However, Kuo is noticeably silent on the smart display that Gurman has shared reports of, so it's unclear if the two are referring to the same product.
The product Gurman describes is something quite different from the HomePod, although he mentions there will be "bases with additional speakers." Those could be similar to what Google did with its Pixel Tablet, and Kuo's sources may be conflating those with something more HomePod-like. Still, the various codenames floating around suggest that Apple is working on three distinct products: the J490 smart display, the Z314 HomePod with a seven-inch display, and possibly the B720 HomePod with an LCD panel on top. We've heard less about that last one, so Apple may have scrapped those plans, but it's also not nearly as conspicuous of a device, as it's believed to be identical to the current HomePod in every other way. This could allow Apple to surprise us with a quieter release on that one.
Either way, 2025 looks like it could be an exciting year for Apple's HomeKit ecosystem.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]