HomePod with Screen: iOS 26 Hints & Delayed Launch

Here’s a 10-point summary of the article:

1. iOS 26 Hints at a New HomePod: The beta version of iOS 26 contains code suggesting an upcoming HomePod with a screen.
2. “Show” Functionality: Specific code mentions the HomePod being able to “show” local weather and time, indicating a display.
3. HomePod 3 Launch Delayed: The release of this new HomePod, possibly HomePod 3, has been pushed back to the third quarter of 2025.
4. AI and Siri Challenges: Apple is facing significant difficulties in developing advanced AI for Siri, impacting the HomePod’s capabilities.
5. Ambition for a Smart Hub: Apple aims to transform the HomePod into a central smart home hub, controlling HomeKit and Matter devices, and running its own applications.
6. Comparison to Amazon Echo Show: The goal is to offer an experience similar to Amazon’s Echo Show devices.
7. AI as an Achilles’ Heel: The article highlights Apple’s ongoing struggles with artificial intelligence performance.
8. Potential Partnership Speculation: Recent discussions about potential partnerships with OpenAI or Anthropic underscore Apple’s AI development challenges.
9. Expected Features: leaks suggest the new HomePod could feature an OLED screen for displaying weather, home automation notifications, and controls.
10. Enhanced Voice Interaction: The device is expected to offer improved AI-powered voice interactions and full support for Apple’s connected ecosystems.