Apple is planning to release a new version of HomePod sometime this year, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It will not feature any major hardware design changes, according to Kuo.
Hartley Charlton for MacRumors:
Kuo recently said that Apple is planning to release “a new version” of the HomePod. He warned that “there may not be much innovation in hardware design” with the new HomePod and “Apple is still figuring out how to succeed in this market.”
There is no word on what size the new HomePod will be and if it will be a HomePod mini successor or a larger speaker. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman previously said that Apple was considering a new version of the HomePod that would be sized between the original HomePod and the HomePod mini, so it seems possible that this is the speaker that Kuo discussed.
Such a speaker could replace the now-discontinued HomePod, and it would likely be more expensive than the HomePod mini but less expensive than the larger HomePod.
MacDailyNews Take: A little birdie told us that “the new HomePod is slated for release this fall.”
HomePod mini is no match for a real HomePod. Hopefully this new HomePod model can deliver a much closer experience to the original HomePod.
A new “HomePod” will also resolve Apple’s current product naming issue:
Having one product called “HomePod mini” is stupid. It directly leads a potential customer to ask, “Well, where’s the real HomePod?” “Or the HomePod Max?” You know, for every “mini” Apple product there’s at least one big brother (Mac mini, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13 mini).
“So, where’s the real HomePod?”
“Oh, that? “It failed.”
That’s not a huge confidence boost for “HomePod mini.” A prospective buyer might rightly wonder, “Hmm, for how long is Apple going to remain committed to this ‘mini’ product if its parent is already canceled?”
Hint to Apple: If that’s the only HomePod you currently have to offer, at least change its name. Duh. – MacDailyNews, November 1, 2021
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Hope Apple aims somewhere above the original HomePod. It would be a shame for a new “bigger” HomePod to offer less (sound) than the original model. But the way, how about a HomePod Sub that could go with two paired Pods? Nice!
My HomePods are plenty deep. Lots of bass even at really low levels. I wish they could improve higher ranges which often sound muffled and muted.
No Homepod will ever have crisp midrange or bass. Fundamentally, to sound “big”, these little digital speakers broadcast an array of sound in all directions, attempting to adjust for the reflections of the room in which it is placed. By design, the Homepod is unfortunately misplaced to be near the wall plug instead of near the listener or the center of the room. Thus you have the quality of portable bluetooth speaker with cheap Class D amp banging away in all directions, with Apple’s signal processing attempting to adjust for the room full of reverberations.
So yeah, of course it sounds better than the equivalently sized budget box. But this is not hi fi. The Homepod is simply not up to the task of overcoming all the factors in play. An audiophile doesn’t rely entirely on digital processing to tame the mess of sound reflections. They choose a room that has low echo, preferable large, tall ceiling, without parallel walls. They add sound deadening wall treatments. DSP — assuming you set up your speakers correctly — is instead used to recreate the acoustic signature of cathedrals, night clubs, and arenas. You can control the distortion and reverberation of your sound system. With the Homepod, you control nothing and you have to put up with Siri.
It would be a smart move for Apple to resurrect the original HomePod, same design, same sound quality, but with a private relay mesh router build into the unit…two appliances, one cord. It would explain the simultaneous HomePod and network adapter patent rumors we’ve been hearing for the past few weeks.
That’s a great idea! I think Apple will have to also release a non-HomePod version of the mesh router at the same time for those that don’t want that many speakers yet want a mesh network. On the other hand that would mean less overall device sales since the ‘new’ combo version would mean one less device to buy, not exactly a trend Apple seems to favor.
It would be great if you could sync two HomePod minis with a pair of HomePods for a nice wireless surround sound system for your TV. The minis could focus on delivery better voice while the HomePods focus on lower frequencies. I have two paired HomePods with my TV and while they sound impressive, we often have to turn on the close captioning because dialog sometimes gets lost with heavy background noise.
The original HomePod failed because it was overpriced and didn’t do enough. Apple has added functionality to the HomePod lineup via software, but in my opinion it needs an adjusted price as well. Speaking as someone who has 6 HomePod minis, if the full-sized HomePod were $199 they would sell in a big way. Perhaps even as much as $249.
I actually paid about $200-225 for both of my original homepods on sale when they first came out. That was about the right price.
So strange to me that Apple, the truly creative tech company, that is committed and successfully focused on ear/in ear devices, but has wandered and continues to wander with other broad environment music/sound devices (Apple iPod Hi-Fi-prev Home Pod)…esp considering A-TV and “Home” focus.
I hope the new item is more deeply integrated with Apple’s long-term goals and strongly augments the tech that already exists. Otherwise, it’s just another item on the transient tech list showing Apple’s lack of commitment in this realm…which is/will be strange.
How about a HomePod soundbar to replace my Sonos soundbar.
I think that Apple will release a few products to work alongside smart home devices using the Matter protocol, which will be released later this year. Likely products include this HomePod, a new version of Apple TV and the rumoured mystery WiFi device.
Matter is going to be very important for Apple because compliant devices will work across multiple platforms. We will get the cheaper products, but also the enhanced security we have come to expect from HomeKit.
I’ll keep using my very old “analog” speaker system (fed and powered by something called a “receiver”) in living room. They sound great connected to my TV.
Adding a battery powered option would be also very welcomed .
I’m hoping for something gasoline-powered. I’ve got a lot of extra fossil fuel laying around because of the bad press it’s received.
Amazon Echo comes in ‘puck’, ‘sphere’, and ‘toilet roll’ (like the HomePod). Might be interesting for Apple to try another design for a future HomePod.
So far, proposed designs have included “Cone,” “Torus,” and “Hypercube.” The latter had the best sound reproduction, but problems with echo.
This is the correct shape for the closest to ideal acoustics from a magnet-driven driver. Open tapered tubes tuned to the appropriate frequency response range for each driver. Even the casual observer will immediately notice how much better proper speaker design is.
All other speaker shapes are primarily art, not science.
Siri on HomePod Mini is obscenely loud compared to my original HomePod. Her “minimum volume” would be rude sounding coming from another person. Forget about issuing commands late at night and having her shout back at you “OK, I TURNED OFF THE LIGHT!”