Apple's smart speaker, the HomePod, made its debut in 2018 with high expectations. The device promised to deliver exceptional sound quality, along with all the capabilities of a smart home device, such as the ability to control your other home automation devices and play music with voice commands. However, despite its promising start, the HomePod failed to gain a significant market share, and it was eventually discontinued in 2021.But, according to recent rumors, Apple is planning to bring the HomePod back in 2023 with a new and improved version. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that although the return of the larger HomePod size is still set for this year, we shouldn't expect anything revolutionary about it.
The original HomePod was a popular choice for those looking for high-quality sound in a smart speaker, but its high price tag made it less competitive with other popular smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home. The HomePod's lack of market share is believed to have been a significant factor in its discontinuation. However, with the relaunch of the HomePod, we can expect a lower price, which will make it more accessible for the general public. Gurman predicts that the new HomePod will retail for $199, a $200 price reduction from the original. We can also expect the new generation HomePod to feature an updated touch control panel on the top and the S8 chip from the latest Apple Watches in a design similar to the model from 2018. This new chip is expected to bring more power and efficiency to the device, making it faster and more responsive than the previous version.
Despite the lack of major changes in the new HomePod, the prospect of its relaunch is still exciting news for Apple fans, especially those who liked to use a HomePod as part of their home theater audio setup. The HomePod is still considered one of the best smart speaker in the market for sound quality and its integration with Apple's ecosystem. With Apple's renewed interest in the smart speaker market, we can expect to see more innovation and new features in the upcoming version of the HomePod.
Of course, these are all just rumors and speculations at this point, and we will have to wait for an official announcement from Apple to know for sure. But one thing is for certain, the smart speaker market is becoming increasingly competitive and any innovation from Apple will be closely watched by fans and industry experts alike.