Apple HomePod 3 with 7-inch display and A18 chip to launch in 2025
According to DigiTimes, Apple plans to launch a new HomePod 3 with a 7-inch LCD display, an A18 chipset, and Apple Intelligence support in 2025. It is unclear how much the display-equipped HomePod would cost. But anyone who hasn’t heard of Apple since yesterday knows that it won’t be a bargain. According to Digitimes, China-based manufacturer Tianma will supply the LCD panels for the device at an “extraordinarily competitive” price of $10 per panel. Whether that will mean a cheaper end-user price remains to be seen.
There have been various rumors about an Apple HomePod 3 equipped with a display in recent years. Earlier this month, for example, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a HomePod with a 6 to 7-inch display, an A18 chipset, and Apple Intelligence support would go into mass production in the second half of 2025. Kuo said smart home features would be a central aspect of the device. At the same time, Apple has reportedly been planning a smart home hub for some time — but it could be the same device.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said last month that Apple’s smart home hub looks like a “square iPad” with a roughly 6-inch display. He said the hub could be attached to a tabletop or mounted on a wall. It will run a new homeOS operating system with a customizable home screen with widgets that integrates Apple Intelligence and HomeKit in addition to Siri. The hub could also serve as a home security system by displaying camera feeds, and it is said to have a built-in camera that enables FaceTime video calls.
Apple’s hub would compete with products like Google’s Nest Hub and Amazon’s Echo Show, which range in price from $150 to $400. Kuo and Gurman both said Apple is also planning a wireless security camera that would work with the hub.
It’s unclear if Apple will actually use the HomePod branding for the Home Hub or if it will opt for a completely new name in California. It’s also unclear if the current HomePod will just be updated next year instead of a new HomePod 3. Instead, a new HomePod Mini could also be released next year.
