Apple HomePod 2 could launch soon as company shifts old smart speaker stock
We’ve been waiting a long time for the new Apple HomePod
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We’ve been hearing rumors of a new, smallerApple HomePodfor a long time – the so-calledApple HomePod 2orAppleHomePod Mini, said to be a cheaper version of the Siri-poweredsmart speaker.
Those rumors are looking increasingly credible after Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman posted atweetclaiming that Apple is trying to get rid of its remaining HomePod stock by giving staff hefty discounts on the smart speaker.
Apple employees can also now buy up to 10 (up from 2) with their discount. These things are clearly on the way out. https://t.co/X0ey2QKbxC https://t.co/8sXDf6ifmrMay 18, 2020
The Apple HomePod has recently been heavily discounted at retailers like Best Buy in the US and John Lewis in UK, where it saw a humungous $100 / £100 knocked off the price.
ThoseHomePod dealsare still available at the time of writing, so it’s well worth taking a look if you want to save money on an Apple smart speaker:
What we know so far about the Apple HomePod 2
Back in March 2018, only a month after the HomePod’s release, there was a report from Economic Daily that Apple was planning to release a more affordable HomePod at some point in 2018.
Of course, it never materialized. However, details of aHomePod 2 and new Apple TVwere revealed in a new report fromBloombergin late March. According to the report, Apple employees are going fullsteamahead to get the company’s 2020 slate of products into the hands of consumers, despite the disruption to their usual working practices due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The report didn’t offer an Apple HomePod Mini release date, but the next likely release window could beWWDCon June 22, where we’re expecting to see theiOS 14update in detail, along with upgrades in the form of iPadOS 14,macOS 10.16andwatchOS 7– and possibly theApple AirPods Studio,AirPods 3, andAirPods Pro Lite.
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Other details about the Apple HomePod 2 have been pretty far and few between, though some Apple patents have hinted at the specs we might see from the new smart speaker, including Face ID, 3D gesture control, and the ability to pair with another HomePod for true stereo sound.
ViaThe Apple Post
Olivia was previously TechRadar’s Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she’s a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She’s previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.
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