Apple is tipped to launch a new device for smart homes next year. The renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that Apple will launch a redesigned HomePod smart speaker with a 7–inch touchscreen display in 2024.
According to Kuo, the Chinese display solutions provider Tianma will supply panels for the redesigned HomePod. With a bigger display, the tech giant could offer more features on the smart speaker that will help users to interact with a larger panel more.
In his post on Medium, the analyst said that the new HomePod’s display could offer deeper integration with other hardware products from Apple. By introducing smart displays, Apple’s HomePod will compete with Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub.
Apple HomePod speaker with 7-inch display
As we have mentioned above Apple may offer a 7-inch display from Tianma in the upcoming HomePod. Tianma Microelectronics is the exclusive supplier of these displays. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi used to take a lot of LCD displays from Tiamna for the Redmi Note series.
Kuo has also added that Apple will order display for Apple iPad from Tianma in the future as well.
The initial rumours about the new Apple HomePod suggested that the device will come with tvOS and have FaceTime capabilities via a built-in camera. So, if the Homepod really geta 7-inch display then the built-in camera rumour could come true. With the addition of the camera, users would be able to make FaceTime calls straight from it.
Last but not least, the new Apple HomePod will also operate as a smart speaker.
The second generation Apple HomePod at Rs 32, 900 was launched in January this year. It carries many features including Siri, built-in sensors and EQ microphones. The device is powered by Apple’s in-house S7 chipset and comes with five tweeters compared to the seven tweeters on the original variant. It has four microphones instead of six spotted on the previous generation.
