Apple might combine the HomePod, iPad, and AI for its next smart home devic

[phillynews215]

Credit: Roger Fingas / Android Authority

• Rumors suggest that the next Apple HomePod will include a display and the A18 chip.
• The smart home device is currently only known as ‘HomeAccessory’ and is likely to offer AI-driven features.
• The device may be slated for release in early 2025.

It’s somewhat curious that Apple doesn’t have a smart home display comparable to the Google Nest Hub or Amazon Echo Show. You’d imagine that, if it did, it would exist as something in-between the iPad and the Apple HomePod. Throw in some AI features, and that’s exactly what the latest rumors suggest Apple is working on.

References to a “HomeAccessory” in some Apple code were previously spotted by MacRumors, and that appears to represent an unreleased Apple smart home device. 9to5Mac is now attempting to corroborate the existence of the device with many more details. While the publication doesn’t reveal the “reliable sources familiar with the matter,” Bloomberg chief correspondent Mark Gurman adds his support to the rumors in an X post.




More...