Just some end of year predictions for fun. I’m not in charge of Apple’s product roadmap (yet).
HomePod & Apple TV merge to become Apple HomePod TV
Why it makes sense:
- Both run on older Apple A series chips that are becoming dated and are due for an upgrade.
- HomePod is already awkwardly categorised under both TV and Music on Apple’s website, so Apple recognises these products have a natural fit as home devices.
- Apple TV (hardware device) vs Apple TV 4K (hardware device) vs Apple TV+ (streaming service) is clunky brand architecture due for renovation.
- HomePod is a high quality speaker and could make sense as an alternative to TV sound bars.
- Siri, while improving, remains a distant third in the voice assistant category. Connecting HomePod to a TV will give it an alternative visual user interface to use when Siri fails users.
- Along with a bump up in processing power, the merged HomePod TV would become a casual home gaming platform to rival Nintendo Switch and provide a more compelling offer for Apple Arcade / Apple One…
