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There have been plenty of questions about Apple’s involvement in the smart home industry over the years, especially earlier this year when the company ditched the full-size HomePod. Now, a new report suggests that even internally, Apple isn’t sure exactly what its smart home plans are, but that a new combined Apple TV, HomePod, and FaceTime device is on track for 2023.
In the latest edition of his Light up bulletin, Bloomberg Mark Gurman believes Apple TV has “become redundant” amid stronger competition from Amazon and Roku, and a lack of innovation from Apple.
He suggests that Apple could reinvent the Apple TV by making a more affordable version, lowering the price of the existing model, or adding features to make it worth its current price. Nonetheless, Gurman says none of this is likely to happen anytime soon based on what he’s heard from engineers at Apple:
If Apple really wants to be efficient, it could simply lower the price of its box, make a cheap “stick” version with 4K, or add features that are really worth it. But for now, it’s hard to believe that will happen anytime soon, especially with Apple engineers telling me the company doesn’t have a solid hardware strategy for the living room and there isn’t a lot of internal optimism.
Gurman also doubles his belief that Apple will launch a combined Apple TV, HomePod, and FaceTime device as early as 2023:
Again, Apple seems to recognize this and is developing a combined Apple TV, HomePod and FaceTime device for release around 2023. Will this release finally improve Apple’s offering in the living room? Only time will tell. But if the next big redesign doesn’t go well, it might be time for Apple to consider putting Apple TV on the same shelf as other living room products like the HiFi iPod and the top HomePod. range.
What do you think about the current state of Apple TV and HomePod? What are you looking forward to seeing in the future? Let us know in the comments!
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