Apple is reportedly developing new product options to improve its rather limited success in the smart home markets. The Cupertino-based company is said to be working on a new Apple TV and HomePod Combo which would incorporate the streaming capability of the Apple TV 4K set-top box and smart features of the now discontinued HomePod speaker, as per a new report by Bloomberg.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Apple TV and HomePod combo is expected to connect to TVs and offer access to popular music/video/podcast streaming and gaming services available on the TV, while the speaker portion would provide audio output, Siri integration and music playback. The device is also expected to feature a webcam camera for video conferencing and offer other smart home functions (HomeKit?).
Read More: Report: Apple Working on HomePod Speakers with Screen and Cameras | Apple Discontinues the Original HomePod Smart Speakers
The TV and smart speaker combo device would be a first from Apple, however, it would not be breaking new grounds in this space because Amazon already has the Fire TV Cube which incorporates the features of the Fire TV and Echo speaker for US$ 120 (~AU$ 160). Judging by Apple’s track record, the new product would blow away Amazon’s offering in terms of specs, however, it would be priced well higher.
Pricing has been a major factor that has resulted in the lukewarm adoption of the over 4-year-old Fire TV 4K (from US$ 179/AU$ 249) and HomePod speaker (from US$349/AU$ 469). Apple is currently behind rivals – Amazon and Google,, in the race to conquer the smart home markets. Figures from Strategy Analytics note that the Cupertino-based company currently accounts for 10% of the smart speakers and only 2% of the TV streaming hardware markets.
Would you be interested in this Apple TV and HomePod combo device? Your thoughts in the comment section.