New 'HomePod' With 7-Inch Display, A18 Chip, and More Reportedly Launching Next Year
Apple plans to release a new "HomePod" with a 7-inch LCD display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support in 2025, according to DigiTimes.
Google's Nest HubIt is unclear how much the screen-equipped HomePod would cost, but Apple is seemingly aiming for a reasonable price. In a paywalled report this week, the supply chain publication said Apple has selected China-based manufacturer Tianma to supply the LCD panels for the device, at an "exceptionally competitive" price of $10 per panel. The low cost of this component would likely contribute to the device being more affordable.
A screen-equipped HomePod has been rumored several times over the past few years. Earlier this month, for example, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo similarly said that a HomePod with a 6-to-7-inch display, an A18 chip, and Apple Intelligence support would enter mass production in the second half of 2025. Kuo said smart home capabilities would be a core aspect of the device, so it sounds like rumors about a screen-equipped HomePod and Apple's rumored smart home hub are referring to the same product coming next year.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month said Apple's smart home hub looks like a "square iPad," with a roughly 6-inch screen. He said the hub can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. It will run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and revolve around Siri, Apple Intelligence, and HomeKit, he added. The hub could double as a home security system by displaying camera footage, and it is said to have a built-in camera that allows for FaceTime video calls.
Apple's hub would compete with products like Google's Nest Hub and Amazon's Echo Show, which are priced in the $150 to $400 range. Kuo and Gurman both said Apple is also planning a wireless security camera that would work with the hub.
It is unclear if Apple will actually use HomePod branding for the home hub, or if it will opt for all-new naming. It is also unclear if the current HomePod speaker will be updated next year, but a new HomePod mini is expected to launch next year.
Popular Stories
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should launch in late September, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will have several new camera-related features, according to an anonymous tipster who contacted MacRumors today.
The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by a film company that has publicly listed Apple as one of its clients. MacRumors has not independently confirmed any of the information shared ...
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable
5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2
Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
Earlier this month, MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to permanently close its Partridge Creek store, just outside of Detroit, Michigan, and now the company has announced a closure date for the location.
Apple Partridge Creek
Apple Partridge Creek's final day of business will be Saturday, August 16, with the store set to close for good at 8 p.m. local time that day. All of ...
While the focus is now on iOS 26, there is still an iOS 18.6 update incoming.
As noted by Aaron Zollo, Apple on Wednesday re-labeled iOS 18.6 Beta 4 as simply iOS 18.6, meaning that it is the Release Candidate version. This change effectively confirms that the update will be released to the public next week.
Alongside the new label, Apple shared release notes for iOS 18.6, which is a...
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September.
MacRumors concept
In a Macworld report this month, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models.
The report...
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...
