The return of Apple's smart speaker is reportedly near
The next-gen Apple HomePod is expected to arrive soon – a move that would mark the first smart speaker hardware from the company since 2020.
That’s according to the ever-reliable Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, at least, who has indicated via Twitter that the refreshed Siri speaker is set to release “fairly soon”.
There’s not much currently known about HomePod 2, but Gurman has previously stated that the speaker would feature a more competitive price, the S8 chip also found in the company’s latest smartwatches and an updated touch control panel on the top.
The next HomePod should also be coming fairly soon https://t.co/WsByewy7hm
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 16, 2023
Given that the original Apple HomePod was discontinued in March 2021, as well, it would fill a much-needed gap in the Apple smart home setup alongside the HomePod Mini.
With Apple – like all the biggest tech giants – also involved in the arrival of Matter, the all-new smart home standard that began to roll out to certified devices in late 2022, a HomePod launch for Q1 2023 would make plenty of sense.
Apple debuted the first HomePod back at WWDC in 2017, but Gurman’s reporting would suggest the announcement is due before June – perhaps, then, as part of Apple’s usual event in March.
Either way, everything regarding the second-gen HomePod will seemingly be revealed soon, and, as ever, we’ll be on hand to provide any updates.
