Bloomberg: Apple Working on New Apple TV With Integrated HomePod Speaker and FaceTime Camera

Apple is working on a combined Apple TV with HomePod speaker that has a camera for video calls through a connected television set, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

AppleTV and HomePod Feature
From the report:

The company is working on a product that would combine an Apple TV set-top box with a HomePod speaker and include a camera for video conferencing through a connected TV and other smart-home functions, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.

The device's other capabilities would include standard Apple TV box functions like watching video and gaming plus smart speaker uses such as playing music and using Apple's Siri digital assistant.

Following disappointing sales, Apple discontinued its original high-end ‌HomePod‌ in March, leaving many wondering if the company was working on a successor. The HomePod mini, which launched last year, has been much more popular thanks to its lower price.

Apple unified its engineering teams for ‌HomePod‌ and ‌Apple TV‌ last year, suggesting an integrated device offering the best of both worlds could be in the offing.

However, according to today's report, the product's development is still in the early stages, and Apple could choose not to launch the product or change key features.

Apple is known to be working on an updated version of the Apple TV that will allegedly have a gaming focus with an updated remote control, a faster processor, and increased storage capacity, although it seems likely that today's report is referencing another potential future product. Signs of the new ‌Apple TV‌ have been showing up in iOS since January 2020, so we are expecting to see a new ‌Apple TV‌ launch in 2021.

Today's report also mentions that Apple is working on a concept for a future ‌HomePod‌ design that has an iPad connected via a robotic arm, which could follow users around a room during video calls.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini

Popular Stories

apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
samsung glitter blue

Samsung's Year End Sale Introduces Major Discounts on Popular Monitors and TVs

Monday December 29, 2025 6:29 am PST by
Samsung kicked off a new end-of-the-year sale this week, introducing great deals on monitors, TVs, Galaxy smartphones, and home appliances. Many of these deals are the exact same all-time low prices we tracked during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep ...

Top Rated Comments

wanha Avatar
62 months ago
Granted I've been wrong a couple times in my life (my wife never let's me forget), but this sounds like a weird combination.

1. An Apple TV with a single speaker? Do people not want stereo sound anymore when watching TV?

2. The large HomePods weren't popular because they were considered too expensive. How does throwing in an Apple TV, a screen, and a remote make it any less expensive?

3. Does this combination provide anything unique? We can already do FaceTime calls with our phones, laptops and tablets quite easily. We already have media streamers in all our TVs built in. Many of us already have smart speakers in our homes.

In short, I hope I am wrong again, but I struggle to see the value of this "product".
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EntropyQ3 Avatar
62 months ago
Eh, bundling a bunch of stuff together that we didn't ask to have combined.
I don't think this makes sense. I really can't see the point. Never mind the practical nightmare of having to place the speaker so that the camera is reasonably positioned for picking up your face for video conferencing - all while it has to be physically connected to the TV display for streaming. Ugh.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blokitud Avatar
62 months ago
But will it have 720p camera with improved AI....
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamesjingyi Avatar
62 months ago
If they basically make a Sonos Beam with an Apple TV built in that uses ARC so you can use it as a soundbar then take my money! Been wanting a beam for a while but this would completely replace it
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
markfc Avatar
62 months ago
Wow, only about 12 months to late.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ted13 Avatar
62 months ago
What I was imagining is that that a high quality HomePod Sound Bar (with HDMI/TOSlink IN so it can support something besides the AppleTV like the HDTV ARC/Blu-ray/TiVO combined with HomePod (not mini) Stereo or Quad (with HomePods in the front HomePod minis in the back) for Dolby Atmos and 5.0 sound. The result would be pretty much the best home theater sound system at any price.
This is still double Apple, it's not too late!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)