After several delays, it seems as though Apple’s long-rumored smart home display will become available later this year.
Expect Apple’s HomePod with Built-in Display to Arrive Later this Year Alongside New iPhones
Apple’s HomePod with a built-in 7-inch display was supposed to launch this spring. Clearly, that didn’t happen.
A new report from Bloomberg says Apple has figured out all the issues, and the device is set to launch later this year. And it makes sense too, given that Apple launches most of its best hardware at the end of the year anyway.
But, does the device make sense given the HomePod and Apple TV already exist?
I see this smart display sitting somewhere between Apple TV and HomePod, if you consider using it as a way to control your HomeKit-compatible devices.
The thing is, turning on the Apple TV is a huge hassle just to view a camera or a smart video doorbell, whereas the current HomePod lineup doesn’t offer any visual interaction at all.
A smart display chilling in the corner of the home is a great solution for this problem.
It remains to be seen how far this smart display goes in terms of features. Will it allow users to stream video as well? Given its small 7-inch display, I doubt it.
Reports do say the display will allow users to make and receive FaceTime calls whenever needed, whereas playing music will definitely be a part of the entire package.
I’m only going to assume that this smart display will also be able to show photos stored in your iCloud library. After all, every single smart home display does that at this point.
