Andrew Cunningham
Apple’s tvOS betas are usually among the least interesting. The Apple TV operating system has changed so little in the past decade that the most interesting development in recent memory is an extra column of icons.
But this week’s tvOS 18 beta 3 release includes a hidden feature that may interest both smart speaker enthusiasts and people looking to give their Apple TV boxes some interesting new capabilities. 9to5Mac has spotted a touchscreen interface (codenamed “PlasterBoard”) in the latest beta, a sign that Apple is testing alternative input mechanisms for software currently controlled via remote and voice.
Last week, MacRumors also discovered a reference to a device called “HomeAccessory17,1” in Apple’s beta software, a naming convention similar to the “AudioAccessory” device identifiers Apple uses for HomePod speakers. Together, these developments suggest that Apple is working on a version of the HomePod with an integrated touchscreen, a device that has been rumored to launch in 2024 or 2025. The company has reportedly been working on a smart home device with a screen since at least 2021.
MacRumors also points out that the model ID 17,1 could mean the new HomePod will be powered by Apple’s upcoming A18 chip. Model IDs across Apple’s product lineup typically correlate to chip generation rather than product generation, which is why the Vision Pro (for example) is called “RealityDevice14,1” instead of “RealityDevice1,1.” The use of an A18 will presumably give a new HomePod the speed it needs to support upcoming Apple Intelligence features, including a new and improved version of Siri.
All HomePod speakers have been running a forked version of tvOS since HomePod software version 13.4 in early 2020, which has led to HomePod-related leaks appearing in tvOS-related code. This would also explain why Apple would use tvOS as the basis for a HomePod with a screen rather than a version of iPadOS.
Apple’s take on an Amazon Echo Show
A version of tvOS running on a tablet-like device would need more than just a touch-enabled interface to reach its full potential: a tvOS version of Safari, for example, would be useful for browsing recipe sites or just reading while doing something else. What Apple adds, however, will depend on the form that screen takes.
Some rumors have suggested it would be a circular panel, replacing the swirling LEDs atop the current-generation HomePods, but Bloomberg’s normally reliable Mark Gurman has described the screen as “iPad-like,” suggesting it could look more like a version of Amazon’s Echo Show. Amazon advertises its Show devices as digital photo frames, miniature TVs and general kitchen aids, and Apple’s pitch for a HomePod with a screen would likely have many of the same applications.
Amazon has released multiple generations of Echo Show devices, and Google has also made a few attempts at the category. A HomePod with a screen, whether it comes out in 2024 or 2025, would be far from the first of its kind. But the HomePod wasn’t a cutting-edge product when it came out, and yet it’s managed to carve out a niche.
We don’t know how much a HomePod with a screen will cost, but assuming it packs a HomePod-like speaker, an iPad-like screen, and a top-end iPhone processor, it seems likely it’ll be a lot more expensive than the $299 Apple currently charges for the full-size non-screen HomePod. Apple’s original $349 HomePod flopped in part because it was priced too high relative to competitors and because it didn’t do very much — a speaker that could do more things could probably be priced higher without drawing as much criticism.