Everything we know so far about the rumored Apple HomePod 2.
Rumors of the Apple HomePod 2 – or Apple HomePod Mini if you prefer – have been circling for a long time now, but evidence of the smaller Apple smart speaker has been building steadily since we first caught wind of it back in 2018.
We’ve seen evidence that Apple is trying to get rid of its existing HomePod stock, with some fantastic HomePod deals available around the world as well as hefty staff discounts.
However, with no hardware announcements at WWDC 2020, we may be waiting a little longer for a new HomePod – though, the rollout of iOS 14 means the original Apple HomePod speaker can tell you who’s at the door.
The original Apple HomePod 2 rumors came from an Economic Daily report in July 2018 (via MacRumors) that claimed Apple may have been looking to release the HomePod 2 sometime in early 2019, which would’ve make sense based on the release date of the original HomePod – of course, it never actually materialized.
Is the world ready for the HomePod 2? We could find out very soon.
[Update: Apple is pushing out a new software update to the Apple HomePod, which will bring “general improvements for stability and quality”. The software update should be installed automatically, but you can install it manually if you prefer. To do that, open up the Home app on your iPhone or iPad, and select Software Update. Then, pull down from the top of your screen to see if there is an update available – if there is, hit Install.]
Considering the Apple HomePod 2 hasn’t actually been announced yet, and there isn’t really any kind of historical pattern when it comes to previous releases for this product, making a guess on a release date is tricky.
However, we think that a 2020 release date is on the cards, especially as details of a HomePod 2 and new Apple TV have been revealed in a new report from Bloomberg. According to the report, Apple employees are going full steam ahead to get the company’s 2020 slate of products into the hands of consumers, despite the disruption to their usual working practices.
There are, of course, iPhones, iPads and MacBooks mentioned in the report. But we’re interested in the suggested debut of a HomePod 2 smart speaker and a new Apple TV set-top box.
Unfortunately, the report didn’t offer more details about whether both of those products will be launching soon or whether employees are just working on them currently.
We’ve also seen evidence that Apple is trying to get rid of its existing HomePod stock, with some fantastic HomePod deals available around the world as well as hefty staff discounts, which further suggests that the tech giant is about to release a follow up to the smart speaker.
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, but the HomePod 2 was said to be priced at around $200 (around £145 / AU$260), which is significantly lower than the device’s current $349 / £319 / AU$499 price point.
