A New HomePod With A 7-inch Display Rumored To Arrive In 2024

In January, Apple released a new HomePod model with an identical design to the model released in 2017 and withdrawn from the market in 2021.

Now, amid rumors that the company is working on a new product that combines iPad, Apple TV and HomePod into one device, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reported that Apple will announce a new HomePod with a 7-inch display. in early 2024.

The analyst expects this HomePod to have a completely different design than the current model. Its main difference will be a new 7-inch display, which will be supplied by the Chinese company Tianma. According to Kuo, the new HomePod with integrated display will allow “closer integration with other Apple products, marking a significant shift in the company's smart home strategy."

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that the Cupertino-based company has been exploring several product ideas to drive its smart home ecosystem. This includes an iPad-like device that can be mounted on walls to control HomeKit accessories, play video, and handle FaceTime calls.

Another more ambitious device tested internally by the company is one that combines the functionality of the iPad, Apple TV and HomePod. The idea would be similar to the Amazon Echo Show, which is basically a tablet attached to a speaker with a custom interface for quick interactions.

It's unclear at this point if Kuo is referring to this all-in-one device or if Apple is simply planning to add a regular display to the current HomePod form factor.

Apple Watch Series X and Apple Watch SE 3 Reportedly Rumored To Have Bigger Displays and More

New 3rd-generation Apple Watch Series X and Apple Watch SE models arriving next year will feature larger displays, according to a new research note.

In the research note, analyst David Hsieh says the Series X will come in two sizes with 1.89-inch and 2.04-inch displays, which would be 5% to 10% larger than the Apple Watch Series. 8 depending on the size of the case.

These measurements are for the rectangular display panel, but because the Apple Watch has rounded bezels, the actual viewable area is less.

“Apple Watch Series X” would be a similar branding to the iPhone X, but the name hasn't been confirmed yet. It is likely that Hsieh uses the "Series X" naming to refer to the 10th generation Apple Watch. The original Apple Watch was unveiled in September 2014 and released in April 2015.

As for the third-generation Apple Watch SE, Hsieh expects the device to have the same display size as the Apple Watch Series 8. If the new Apple Watch SE adopts the same slimmer bezels as the Series 8, that would mean it would available in 41mm and 45mm case sizes, up from 40mm and 44mm on the current model. The analyst also expects the Apple Watch Series 9 to be available in the same size as the Series 8.

Finally, in line with analysts Ross Young and Jeff Pu, Hsieh believes the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra will feature a larger 2.13-inch display. The current Apple Watch Ultra has a 1.99-inch display.