This upcoming Apple home accessory will come with Apple Intelligence

Apple HomePod is one of the most popular smart speakers that can perform a plethora of tasks through voice commands. It appears the multi-trillion dollar company is working on a similar kind of device, which could very well be Apple HomePod (3rd generation). Let's discuss all that we know about the home accessory device Apple is seemingly working on.

Apple Home Accessory Device Rumour Round-Up

A little context...

Though you can ask the Apple HomePod to do a lot of things, it is just a speaker at the core, — and it looks like one too. However, there are other similar offerings in the market, that have a full-fledged display offering users wider usage with it. Given that, Apple seems to be brewing a similar home accessory product of its own.

What do we know so far?

Sources have found that Apple has been working on a new smart home accessory under the codename J490. The A18 chip will apparently power this device — it's the same gravy that powers the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus! This is probably so that the upcoming device can utilise Apple Intelligence to assist with users' complex requests. Furthermore, the upcoming Apple home accessory will be equipped with a touch display. As per sources, the screen is squarish in shape, unlike that of an iPad. Moreover, the device will likely run on tvOS like the Apple TV. This rumour stems from the fact that 9to5Mac uncovered a few touchscreen-ready lock screens in the tvOS beta. In the meantime, the Apple J490 also has a camera that lets you FaceTime friends as well as identify hand gestures.

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Apple Home Accessory Device Launch and Availability

Apple is supposedly targeting to launch this new product in the spring of 2025. However, there is no concrete evidence or statement in support of this claim. There is no confirmation on whether the product will arrive as the Apple HomePod (3rd Generation) or something entirely new. In fact, this product might not even see the daylight, similar to how we have been hearing about foldable iPhones and iPads for years now. The same is the case for Apple Car. All in all, we just want to let you know that Apple is working on a smart home accessory device with a screen and A18 chip, which may or may not launch formally.

• Meanwhile, check out our Apple Vision Pro review video: