Apple has a packed lineup of hardware launches happening soon, including two brand new Home products: a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2. Here’s what to expect.
#1: New Apple TV 4K
It’s been nearly three years since new Apple TV hardware shipped, but the wait’s ending soon.
A brand new Apple TV 4K is coming this fall with several upgrades rumored.
The current model’s A15 Bionic is expected to be replaced by an A17 Pro chip.
No doubt a big reason to change the chip is enabling Apple Intelligence, which requires more power than the current Apple TV chip can offer.
Apple hasn’t announced any specific Apple Intelligence features coming to tvOS 26, but the company might do so as part of the announcement of the new Apple TV 4K model.
A built-in camera is another rumored feature for the new Apple TV 4K, and hints in tvOS 26 seem to support that idea. FaceTime and other video calls would be significantly more convenient if they no longer required sacrificing your iPhone.
Apple’s first in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip is also coming to the new Apple TV. That may not sound the most exciting, except neither did Apple’s 5G modem until the C1 was unveiled packing some key benefits.
Mark Gurman says: “With a homegrown wireless chip in Apple’s smart home devices, the products will work more closely together and potentially synchronize data more quickly.”
#2: HomePod mini 2
HomePod mini first arrived almost five years ago, in November 2020. Rumors indicate we’re finally about to get the first hardware revision.
A recent Bloomberg report points to big upgrades coming, with new features including:
- New chip to replace the current S5
- Support for Apple Intelligence and the new Siri
- Upgraded ultra-wideband chip
- Improved audio quality
- New colors, with red possible
- and Apple’s new in-house Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip
Apple’s new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip could enable better cross-device connectivity, and likely will support a more current Wi-Fi standard than its precedessor—such as Wi-Fi 6E or 7.
New Apple TV and HomePod products: wrap-up
This was originally expected to be a big year for Apple’s smart home strategy, but delays to the ‘HomePad’ product (which may actually be called HomePod Touch) upended those plans.
If Apple can ship strong updates to the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, though, followed by the new HomePod Touch in the spring, we could be well on our way to a stronger Apple Home ecosystem than ever before.
Are you interested in a new Apple TV 4K or HomePod mini 2? Let us know in the comments.
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