New HomePod quickly? What Apple Intelligence means for HomePod

The most important star of WWDC this yr was undoubtedly Apple Intelligence. Apple spent almost half its presentation explaining the philosophy behind its personal spin on AI, the options it will make attainable, and the intense future forward because of AI’s capabilities.

The Apple Intelligence story centered round three key merchandise: the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Which has many questioning: what about Imaginative and prescient Professional? Apple Watch? HomePod?

I’m not too involved in regards to the Imaginative and prescient Professional and Apple Watch’s exclusions, as I think Apple has AI tales within the works there. However what about HomePod? Will the HomePod achieve help for the brand new Siri? May there be a brand new mannequin in growth?

Will present HomePods help Apple Intelligence?

Apple at present sells two totally different HomePod fashions: the HomePod (2nd era) and the HomePod mini.

In evaluating the 2 merchandise, they each include chips that appear unlikely to help Apple Intelligence—which means, no new and improved Siri, and sure no ChatGPT integration.

For reference, Apple has mentioned that its new AI options require:

• an A17 Professional chip or later (at present unique to the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max)
• or an M1 chip or later for Macs and iPads

The HomePod at present options an S7 chip and the HomePod mini an S5. These are Apple Watch-class chips.

Even when the HomePod lineup boasted the most recent S9 chip discovered within the Apple Watch Sequence 9, it will nonetheless be unlikely to pack sufficient energy for Apple Intelligence.

It’s unsure whether or not Apple might allow sure Siri-related AI options on much less highly effective chips, like these discovered within the HomePods, however there’s maybe a extra doubtless answer:

There are new, extra highly effective HomePods within the works.

Anticipated options for brand spanking new HomePod {hardware}

Though I wouldn’t count on Apple to stay an M4 within the subsequent era of HomePod, it’s not out of the query to count on one thing like an M1 or A17 Professional.

With a extra highly effective chip, new HomePod {hardware} might achieve full compatibility with Siri’s newfound capabilities on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, enabling options like:

• Richer language understanding, so you possibly can converse extra naturally quite than following a selected script when making requests
• Context consciousness, so you possibly can confer with particular messages, electronic mail, and so forth. and Siri can carry out actions which might be absolutely conscious of the contents of these communications
• Advanced multi-step requests, so you possibly can knock out a number of actions in a single command
• ChatGPT help for requests that could possibly be higher answered by OpenAI’s service

All of those Apple Intelligence options might pair properly with the rumored addition of a built-in contact show on the HomePod.

When will a HomePod AI announcement be made?

In the mean time, Apple clearly has nothing to announce concerning the way forward for Apple Intelligence on the HomePod. However come this fall, if the brand new and improved Siri proves a success on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, the HomePod goes to immediately be seen as outdated.

For now, the silence in regards to the HomePod is comprehensible. Let the main focus be on Apple’s hottest platforms. However earlier than too lengthy, the absence of an AI story on Apple’s different units must be remedied.

Apple’s fall is all the time full of new {hardware}, and we’re already anticipating a brand new iPhone 16, Watch Sequence 10, new AirPods, new Macs and iPads, and extra.

Is there room for HomePods? It appears uncertain, however I certain hope there may be.