Apple’s second-generation HomePod is now 1,000 days old, with no sign of a refresh or third-generation model on the horizon.
The original HomePod was announced at WWDC in 2017 and launched in 2018 after a heavily delayed release. The device was met with mixed reviews; critics praised its outstanding sound quality but pointed out its high price, missing features, and limited functionality compared to rivals.
Apple dropped its price from $349 to $299 in April 2019 and, in March 2021, the company announced that it was discontinuing the first-generation HomePod, instead shifting its focus to the HomePod mini, which launched the previous year. The decision left a gap in Apple’s product lineup for a full-sized smart speaker until the company introduced the second-generation model via a press release on January 18, 2023.
The second-generation HomePod looks virtually identical to the original, although it is 0.2 inches shorter and has a larger edge-to-edge LED touchscreen on top. It also boasts a range of upgrades and changes compared to its 2018 predecessor, including the S7 chip, a U1 ultra wideband chip, a removable power cable, a temperature and humidity sensor, and sound recognition. However, it features two fewer microphones and horn-loaded tweeters.
This second-generation device has now reached 1,000 days since its announcement and no successor is rumored, but at least two other HomePod products are allegedly in the pipeline. One is a new HomePod mini with a new S-series chip and Apple’s new N1 Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip, and the other is an all-new smart home hub, which has been described as a HomePod with a square iPad-like 7-inch screen and an A18 chip. Apple is widely rumored to be planning a wave of new smart home devices over the next few years, so while a third-generation HomePod doesn’t seem to be on the horizon for now, a refresh or the launch of a similar product seems inevitable.
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