Skip to main content

New Apple HomePods with AI are coming. Everything we know.

By
Apple Inc. HomePod speakers displayed at the company's new Hebbal store at the Phoenix Mall of Asia shopping center

Apple's smart home lineup has stayed mostly frozen for years, but that appears likely to change.

Between a recent Bloomberg report and a trove of references buried in Apple's own beta software, it appears the company is ready for a new Home push. Especially now that, reportedly, Apple has been waiting on its revamped Siri to finally be ready. Here's everything that's been reported so far.

SEE ALSO: Apple's next Beats headphones have reportedly leaked (again)

For years, much of Apple's rumored Home hardware has reportedly sat ready for release, only to be delayed pending the company's overhauled Siri. According to 9to5Mac, that logjam is finally clearing. The new Siri, upgraded with Apple Intelligence, is set to ship with iOS 27 this fall, and a wave of Home products is reportedly not far behind.

Everything we know so far

Citing the Bloomberg report, 9to5Mac lists seven Home-related products said to be in Apple's pipeline for the year ahead:

  • A new Apple TV 4K

  • HomePad, a HomePod-style device with a built-in display

  • HomePod mini 2

  • HomePod 3

  • A security camera

  • A video doorbell

  • A tabletop robotic home hub

9to5Mac notes that the new HomePad, Apple TV 4K, and HomePod mini are reportedly slated to launch this fall. The larger HomePod and security camera could follow soon afterward. On that last point, 9to5Mac points to new HomeKit Secure Video features arriving in iOS 27 as a possible hint that the camera hardware is close.

The most detailed picture so far on the HomePod comes from Engadget, which combed through references in a recent macOS 26.7 beta. According to Engadget, the code points to a new device internally labeled "HomeAccessory" — widely believed to be the long-rumored HomePod with a built-in display, a concept that has been rumored in various forms for years.

Engadget also reports that the device's interface centers on "Faces" and a "Face Gallery" — essentially an Apple Watch-style face system scaled up for a larger screen, with faces that can be customized with different widgets and Smart Stacks that change throughout the day.

The beta code reportedly also points to a next-generation HomePod mini, internally codenamed B525. Engadget characterizes expectations for this update as modest — likely a minor refresh rather than a significant overhaul — though it cites a MacRumors report suggesting new color options are on the way.

Despite the fresh leaks, some skepticism is warranted, given how long these rumors have circulated. As 9to5Mac notes, Apple's home efforts have been comparatively limited so far. Still, given that we now know for sure that Siri AI is actually coming, the company may finally be ready to give its smart home lineup some long-overdue attention.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/m2brZH3
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Nintendo Switch has been the US’s bestselling console for 23 straight months

By
Photo by James Bareham / The Verge It’s been a good two years for the Nintendo Switch. According to Nintendo, the gaming tablet has been the bestselling console in the US for 23 straight months. And according to data from the NPD Group, it just had its best October ever, moving 735,926 units of both the Switch and Switch Lite in the US. The company says that represents a 136 percent increase compared to last year. To date, the Switch has sold 22.5 million units in the US, and last week Nintendo revealed that more than 68 million units have been sold globally . “We’re excited about our momentum,” says Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s SVP of sales and marketing. Chavez puts the company’s big October down to two main factors. One is a better supply of stock; this year in particular, it’s often been hard to find a Switch on store shelves. This has only been exacerbated by increased demand due to a combination of the pandemic and the breakout success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons . ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Instagram accidentally reinstated Pornhub’s banned account

By
After years of on-and-off temporary suspensions, Instagram permanently banned Pornhub’s account in September. Then, for a short period of time this weekend, the account was reinstated. By Tuesday, it was permanently banned again. “This was done in error,” an Instagram spokesperson told TechCrunch. “As we’ve said previously, we permanently disabled this Instagram account for repeatedly violating our policies.” Instagram’s content guidelines prohibit  nudity and sexual solicitation . A Pornhub spokesperson told TechCrunch, though, that they believe the adult streaming platform’s account did not violate any guidelines. Instagram has not commented on the exact reasoning for the ban, or which policies the account violated. It’s worrying from a moderation perspective if a permanently banned Instagram account can accidentally get switched back on. Pornhub told TechCrunch that its account even received a notice from Instagram, stating that its ban had been a mistake (that message itse...
Post a Comment
Read more

MVP versus EVP: Is it time to introduce ethics into the agile startup model?

By
Anand Rao Contributor Share on Twitter Anand Rao is global head of AI at PwC . The rocket ship trajectory of a startup is well known: Get an idea, build a team and slap together a minimum viable product (MVP) that you can get in front of users. However, today’s startups need to reconsider the MVP model as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) become ubiquitous in tech products and the market grows increasingly conscious of the ethical implications of AI augmenting or replacing humans in the decision-making process. An MVP allows you to collect critical feedback from your target market that then informs the minimum development required to launch a product — creating a powerful feedback loop that drives today’s customer-led business. This lean, agile model has been extremely successful over the past two decades — launching thousands of successful startups, some of which have grown into billion-dollar companies. However, building high-performing product...
Post a Comment
Read more