There have been multiple rumors over the past few years about Apple working on various hybrid Apple TV and HomePod devices with a touchscreen. New findings in the tvOS 18 update provide further clues to what Apple is doing in the home.
A unique touchscreen interface has reportedly been found in tvOS 18 beta 3 by 9to5Macand the finding is actually relevant to the HomePod because the HomePod software is an outgrowth of the tvOS software. The interface is internally called “PlasterBoard,” and PlasterBoard is in line with the naming convention for other Apple interfaces, including SpringBoard for iOS and iPadOS, PineBoard for tvOS, SoundBoard for HomePod, and SurfBoard for visionOS. The interface currently appears to have only a lock screen with a touch keyboard for entering passcodes, with little else revealed about it.
The Apple TV doesn’t have the option to lock it with a passcode, and neither does the HomePod, as the HomePod currently only supports basic control gestures. The design seen in the beta looks a lot like the on-screen keyboard you’d see on an iPhone or iPad.
Rumors suggest that Apple is working on a variety of home control devices, and the mix of rumors we’ve heard suggests that multiple development paths and prototypes are being explored. There have been rumors of a simple HomePod with a touchscreen on the top, a hybrid HomePod and Apple TV device with a camera, a HomePod with a display and a camera, and an iPad/HomePod-like combo that works as a centralized home hub.
A standard HomePod with an LED touch-based display at the top of the device could potentially be the first HomePod and display combo we see. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said a HomePod with a 7-inch display would launch sometime in 2024, and prototype images have leaked.
Last week, MacRumors found code that references a “Home Accessory” device with a HomeAccessory17,1 identifier. No existing HomePod or Apple TV devices use the HomeAccessory identifier, but it is similar to the AudioAccessory identifier that Apple uses internally for the HomePod. Based on the numbering, this upcoming device is powered by the same A18 chip that we expect to see in the iPhone 16 lineup.
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