Home LivingSmart HomeApple’s smart home display is a lot like a favourite old Mac, says insiderApple’s HomePod with a screen could pay homage to a much-missed MacWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingSmart HomeApple’s smart home display is a lot like a favourite old Mac, says insiderApple’s HomePod with a screen could pay homage to a much-missed MacWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Apple’s HomePod with a screen could pay homage to a much-missed Mac
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
Quick SummaryApple’s next big smart home device could look rather like the beloved iMac G4.It’ll have a much smaller size, however, and the base could be a speaker or speakers.
Apple’s next big smart home device could look rather like the beloved iMac G4.It’ll have a much smaller size, however, and the base could be a speaker or speakers.
Apple’s next big smart home device could look rather like the beloved iMac G4.It’ll have a much smaller size, however, and the base could be a speaker or speakers.
Apple’s next big smart home device could look rather like the beloved iMac G4.
It’ll have a much smaller size, however, and the base could be a speaker or speakers.
We’ve been hearing for many months now that 2025 will be the yearAppletakes the smart home seriously again. It has fallen behind rivals such asGoogleandAmazon, but in 2025 we’ll see a renewed focus on smart home software and speakers.
One of the most interesting such speakers isApple’s smart home hub, which is believed to be aHomePodwith aniPad-esque display. And according to one insider, the design Apple’s working on could resemble one of the most-loved Macs, the iMac G4.
What to expect from Apple’s smart home hub
According to Gurman the base may include speakers, effectively turning the device into a HomePod with a screen. We’ve been seeing rumours and leaks of a screen-enabled HomePod for many months now but those largely focused on a very similar design to the current HomePod with a larger, more functional display on the top.
It’s unclear whether that’s a design direction that Apple is still considering, of if this newer device is the way Apple now intends to go. Gurman says an Applesmart home device with a screen on a robotic armis still coming, although not until 2016.
Although a display is useful – it’ll reportedly enable you to use slimmed down versions of some key apps such as FaceTime, Notes and Calendar – the main way we communicate with Apple’s Home devices is still via Siri – and that’s getting a big overhaul in 2025 too.
We’re seeing the earlyApple Intelligencefeatures arrive iniOS18.1 in the US next week and in the UK in December, but the real steps forward will be iOS 18.2, which is currently in developer beta, and iOS 18.4, which is expected in March. That should hopefully address one of the weakest points in Apple’s smart home ecosystem: the digital assistant that controls it.
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