Apple is hosting its 'Hi, Speed' event on October 13 in which it will announce the highly anticipated iPhone 12 lineup. However, the company might also announce new products as well and update existing ones. While the new smartphones will be the main highlight of the event, the company might also announce the HomePod Mini. However, HomePod 2 might not come this year as per the latest.
Apple to Announce New HomePod Mini at Its 'Hi, Speed' iPhone 12 Event?
Previously, we got to know that Apple might be working on a budget-friendly HomePod Mini which will be released later this year. Now, @L0vetodream has shared details the corroborate the past rumors. The leaker suggests that there will be no HomePod 2 this year and instead, the company will only launch the HomePod Mini.
As mentioned earlier, past leaks and reports have confirmed that Apple will launch a cheaper and smaller version of the HomePod this year. Yesterday, Apple sent out invites for its upcoming 'Hi, Speed' event, and potentially, the new, smaller HomePod Mini will be announced alongside the new iPhone 12 models.
In terms of what we can expect in terms of design is pretty vague. It can potentially be the same with a smaller form-factor and a much cheaper price tag. Other than this, there have been no leaks pertaining to the smart speaker's price as well. What we do know is that it will be priced less than its bigger variant. Apple has stopped selling third-party speakers and headphones in its stores which only hints that the HomePod Mini launch is closing in.
there is no HomePod2 this year
only have mini one— 有没有搞措 (@L0vetodream) October 7, 2020
For a smaller, more budget-friendly HomePod, it will be interesting to see what pricing strategy will the company inherit since the speaker market is quite dense with the competition. There are numerous options from Google, Amazon's Alexa-powered smart speaker, and more. The original HomePod was initially launched at $349 and later on, it was reduced to $299 last year. Moreover, it is heavily discounted on several retailers that are selling it for $199. Henceforth, we can assume that the price of the HomePod Mini will be less than that.
Apple is yet to release the HomePod software version 14 for the original HoemPod. Since iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 have been released to the public, we expect that the new software will be released alongside the HomePod Mini. The new build will boast several new features that Apple can use to market its new budget speaker with improved Siri and more.
That's all there is to it, folks. Are you looking forward to Apple's upcoming event? Let us know in the comments.
