At some point this year, Apple is expected to release the HomePod 3, the third version of its smart home speaker. However, this model is rumored to come with some pretty big changes — this includes a touchscreen, which would bring it in competition with some of the best smart displays from Amazon and Google.
But, like most Apple products before they’re announced, there’s a lot of speculation and rumors around this new device. Here’s everything we’ve heard about the HomePod 3, as well as what we’d like to see in Apple’s new smart home speaker.
Apple HomePod 3: Rumored release date
While there’s been no official announcement — Apple is always tight-lipped about its releases — a number of analysts point to either the spring of the summer of 2025 as the potential release date for the HomePod 3.
In November, Marc Gurman of Bloomberg wrote that the HomePod 3 could be released in March of this year. However, one month later, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacObserver) said Apple postponed the device until the third quarter of 2025, until after WWDC.
The iPhone SE 4 is rumored to be released this week, but Apple could also introduce new AirTags and new Macbooks — is there enough room to launch a new HomePod, too?
Apple HomePod 3: Potential price
Likewise, there’s no hints of anything around the price of the HomePod 3. However, the current HomePod 2 sells for $299. The Echo Show 15 also sells for $299.
However, the Echo Hub, which is potentially the HomePod 3’s most direct competitor, sells for $199.
Given that the rumors point toward Apple offering a number of accessories with the HomePod 3, we would guess that its base price would be around $249. However, adding a dock could at add at least $200 to the price. Our guess would be $499 or more, similar to the Google Pixel Tablet and dock.
Apple HomePod 3: Display and design
The standout feature of the rumored HomePod 3 is its display. Most analysts and rumors point to the display being between 6 to 7 inches in size — Marc Gurman’s report from November says it will be 6 inches, as did a Korean report from SE Daily, which also said the display would be OLED.
According to Gurman, the HomePod 3 will be a little smaller than the iPad mini “about two iPhones side by side,” and will act as a “command center” that can control smart home devices, which would make it roughly the size of the Amazon Echo Hub.
Apple is also expected to release several accessories with the HomePod 3, including a wall mount and a speaker base, much like Google did with the Pixel Tablet.
Apple’s upcoming AI-powered smart home device:- Focus is on Siri, Communication and Home Control- Runs Safari, Music, Notes, and several other Apple apps but no App Store.- The device is touch, but will mostly be operated by voice through Apple Intelligence’s new App Intents…November 12, 2024
The HomePod 3 will also have a FaceTime camera for making video calls; it remains to be seen if you’ll be able to use it as a home security camera, akin to how you can use the camera on the Echo Show 10.
Additionally, the HomePod 3 might include presence sensors to trigger smart home routines, as well as a new Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip made by Apple, rather than Broadcom.
One potential design for the dock popped up in a patent filing last year, which shows a pill-like shape with a circular cutout in the middle. However, this could also be a patent for some other sort of portable HomePod.
While the HomePod 3 that’s due to launch this year seems pretty straightforward, Apple is reportedly working on a more advanced version with a robot limb and AI personality, though Gurman writes that “This is still years away.”
Apple HomePod 3: Interface
As its primary purpose would be to act as a smart home hub, most reports point towards the HomePod 3’s interface as being focused on controlling all of the best HomeKit devices.
Last February, code in the tvOS 17.4 developer beta 3 seen by 9To5Mac mentioned a new device called “Z314” that could be the next HomePod, in which case we might see a similar layout to the Apple TV‘s interface, or something like it.
Also according to Gurman, the device will be focused heavily on security, so we can expect that the display should make it easy to view live feeds from the best home security cameras and video doorbells, and interact with those on the other end — though it should be noted that relatively few of these work with Apple HomeKit compared to Alexa and Google. That’s similar to what’s offered currently on the best smart displays, so it makes sense for Apple to copy this feature.
Unlike the current HomePod and HomePod mini, this device would have less a focus on audio, but it stands to reason that you’d still be able to control your playlists.
While you’ll be able to interact with the display via touch, rumors also point to using Siri as a main method of control, whether it’s to set timers or communicate with other members of your family in the house.
Undoubtedly, Apple Intelligence will also be a big part of the new HomePod, though what form it will take in a more audio-forward and smart home-focused device remains to be seen.
Apple HomePod 3: What we want to see
A 6-inch screen feels a bit small for a smart display, though people might bemoan the lack of Apple TV when similarly sized smart displays from Amazon let you use many of the best streaming services.
I hope that Apple introduces an interface similar to that on the Echo Hub, which shows a layout of your home, with all of the smart home devices pictured in their respective rooms. It’s a much more intuitive way to interact with your smart lights, locks, and other devices.
Similarly, the HomePod 3 should ideally have an ambient mode that displays images from your Apple Photos albums, so that it can act as a sort of digital photo frame for those times when you’re not controlling your devices.
If Apple Intelligence is going to be a big part of the HomePod 3, I would also like to be able to use it to easily create smart home routines, such as “Siri, turn on the lights and start playing Kendrick Lamar when I unlock the front door.”
We might know as soon as this week whether Apple will release a new HomePod — or we might have to wait a few more months. Whatever the case, we’ll update this page with the latest news and rumors.
