Skip to main content

Can a slew of high-tech new features save the HomePod from extinction?

Apple’s HomePod: It has great sound, lets you talk to Siri from across the room, and if you’re an Apple Music subscriber, it might just be your best friend. It’s also lagging so far behind the rest of the smart speaker market, that it may end up on the trash heap if Apple can’t turn its sales numbers around. But what if Apple imbued a future version of the HomePod with features like 3D-gesture recognition, FaceID, and mood-sensing emoji? Might that turn HomePod’s frown upside down?

A recently discovered Apple patent application for an “electronic device with sensors and display devices,” suggests that Apple is certainly about to give it a shot. This patent doesn’t name the HomePod per se, but one look at the accompanying drawings and it’s hard to believe the cylindrical device in which a “speaker may be mounted” could be anything else.

The wide-ranging document describes various features of this theoretical device including:

  • Two areas under the surface of the exterior fabric that are equipped with displays capable of showing text and “sufficient resolution to show images.” These displays could be powered by OLED panels, with up to 1 million pixels. The patent even makes it clear that the fabric outer layer would double as a touch-sensitive layer.
  • These same displays would be capable of reading ambient light sources — anything from existing room lighting to the content being displayed on a nearby TV — and responding in kind, with matching colors and brightness.
  • Cameras located on the sides of the device could identify different people and activities in the room and offer separate reactions for each, essentially making it a double-sided display.
  • In addition to displaying text messages on the top portion of the display (e.g. as visual feedback to a voice command), the lower display could show an “animated assistant” — either lifelike or a cartoon avatar. We’re thinking that Siri might end up with Animoji abilities borrowed from the iPhone.
  • Proximity detection — it would know how close you are through its cameras or other onboard sensors, or even by picking up on Bluetooth signals from an Apple Watch.
  • Voice analysis: Algorithms would pick up on signs of stress, or sadness when you speak a voice command, the device would respond with colors or emoji-based avatars intended to empathetically reflect your mood, or show you opposite emotion avatars as a way of counteracting your state of mind.
  • A sensor located on the top surface that can pick up hand gestures.

In short, it sounds as though Apple isn’t interested in following Amazon, Google, and even Facebook into a multi-device universe where smart speakers, smart displays, and other artificial intelligence-based gadgets all compete for your attention. The next HomePod could be a super-device, combining all of these features and more into a single product. If this happens, it could change the game for smart homes. On the other hand, if it ends up being even more expensive than the current HomePod, Apple could simply have an even bigger sales problem on its hands.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
The new HomePod is still too expensive, which is exactly how Apple wants it
Handoff between Apple iPhone and Apple HomePod second-gen.

Apple just announced its second-generation HomePod. And it did so without too much fanfare, via press release and just a day after it unveiled new M2 processors inside new a MacBook Pro and Mac mini. And while there maybe wasn't much fanfare, there was plenty of flourish — also in typical Apple fashion — without divulging all that many details about what's new.

There's the lower price, of course, with $50 shaved off the first-gen HomePod price. The internals have been reworked some, though whether that's to lower the overall cost, or just to make things better, remains to be seen. But It's got a new S7 processor instead of the older (and less purpose-driven) A8. It's got support for the Matter smart home standard and can listen for things like carbon monoxide alarms. And it'll still play music and do other smart home stuff.

Read more
The Apple HomePod is back, with new smarts, and a lower price
Apple HomePod second-gen.

Apple has launched a second generation of its HomePod, for $299 ($50 less than the first-gen), with a similar design to the original HomePod. Apple discontinued the first-gen HomePod in 2021, less than a year after the debut of the HomePod mini, leaving many to wonder if the company had completely abandoned the larger smart speaker. Simply called the second-gen HomePod, the new model offers improved audio quality and deeper integration into the smart home. It's available to pre-order online and in the Apple Store app starting today, with availability beginning Friday, February 3.

In many ways, the second-gen looks exactly the same as the original HomePod. Apple has kept the distinctive rounded shape, the fabric-wrapped exterior, and the instantly recognizable touch area on top, complete with a colorful feedback display. Even the dimensions are nearly identical, with the same 5.6-inch diameter, but a slightly shorter height (6.6 inches vs. 6.8 inches). It's also a tad lighter at 5.16 pounds instead of the first-gen's 5.5-pound weight.

Read more
HomePod Mini vs. Echo Dot: which is better?
Apple HomePod mini on table

The Apple HomePod Mini and Echo Dot are two of the best smart speakers of 2023. Both clock in at less than $100, offer eye-catching designs, and give you all the versatility you’d expect from top-of-the-line smart speakers. But which speaker is more deserving of a spot in your home?

Before picking up the HomePod Mini or Echo Dot, you’ll want to do a bit of research. It's hard to go wrong with either product, but one might be a slightly better fit for your household. From pricing and compatibility to sound quality and more, here’s everything you need to know about these two smart speakers.
Design

Read more