HomePod is hardly Apple's crown jewel, but the company's smart speaker may soon be getting a major upgrade. code in tvOS 17.4 developer beta 3, confirmed by 9To5Mac, mentions a possible next HomePod A new device called "Z314" is mentioned. The next HomePod is widely rumored to have a 7-inch display like the Amazon Echo Show 8 and to merge the iPad and HomePod.

Apple released Developer Beta 3 on Tuesday and included some interesting details: the HomePod runs tvOS (the same as Apple TV) but does not include UI functionality, since a screenless speaker does not need a UI. However, the developer beta includes a SwiftUI framework for HomePod and a UI debugging tool for iOS apps. This is odd, unless you consider the fact that Apple is preparing to release a new HomePod with a display attached.

Digging further into the code, the "Z314" product appears to work with the A15 Bionic chip. It is believed that both internal and production versions of this product have already been tested within Apple, meaning that things are in the late stages of development.

This is consistent with Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's prediction in a Medium post last year that Apple plans to launch a HomePod with a 7-inch screen in the first half of 2024." I predict that Apple will launch a redesigned HomePod with a 7-inch panel in the first half of 2024, with Tianma as the exclusive panel supplier," Kuo wrote.

"A panel-equipped HomePod would allow for tighter integration with Apple's other hardware products and could represent a major shift in the company's smart home strategy.

Naturally, a screen-equipped HomePod would bring myriad benefits to users: the Home app would allow it to serve as a smart home hub, and the onboard camera would help with FaceTime with friends and family. Media playback would be hands-free when cooking with recipes in the kitchen or connecting to Fitness+ while working out at home.

Amazon and Google have offered smart displays for years. But thanks to HomeKit and the Matter standard, not to mention iPhones everywhere, a HomePod with a display will find willing users. 2024 WWDC will have more details on this device. Maybe, but for now we'll just have to wait and see.