New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Launching This Year With One Thing in Common

It was recently reported that new Apple TV and new HomePod mini models will launch this year, and the devices are expected to have one thing in common.

HomePod mini and Apple TV
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month reported that the new Apple TV and the new HomePod mini will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. Gurman said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, so that could end up being a key upgrade for both devices. Wi-Fi 6E extends the capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 to the 6 GHz band, enabling faster wireless speeds and reduced signal interference with a compatible router.

The current Apple TV from October 2022 supports Wi-Fi 6, and the upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E seems likely. It is unclear if the Wi-Fi 6E capability will be enabled in the next HomePod mini, however, as Apple has generally kept its HomePod speakers on older Wi-Fi versions. For example, the current HomePod mini supports outdated Wi-Fi 4.

Unsurprisingly, the next Apple TV is also expected to be equipped with a newer A-series chip for faster performance. The current Apple TV is equipped with the A15 Bionic chip that debuted in the iPhone 13 models in 2021. Apple has released several newer A-series chips since then, including the A16 Bionic, A17 Pro, A18, and A18 Pro.

The next Apple TV could have lower pricing. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that the next model could have a sub-$100 starting price. In the U.S., the current Apple TV is available with 64GB or 128GB of storage for $129 and $149, respectively.

No major design changes have been rumored for the next Apple TV, but Gurman said Apple has considered adding a built-in camera to a future model. tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV, allowing for users to have video calls by using the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad. If the Apple TV gained a built-in camera, users would no longer need to rely on an external device for video calls on the TV.

As for the HomePod mini, likely upgrades for the next model include a newer "S" chip, improved sound quality, a newer Ultra Wideband chip for a lower-latency Handoff experience, and fresh color options. The current HomePod mini was released in November 2020 and uses the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip.

In addition to a new HomePod mini, Apple reportedly plans to release an all-new smart home hub at some point this year. The hub is expected to feature around a six-inch display that can be mounted on a wall, or attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, so the device could be similar to the HomePod mini in some ways.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, HomePod mini

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Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
12 weeks ago

Those that use the Gb port download their files instead of renting them from Apple. So could make sense to remove it.
I disagree

I live in a very wifi congested building and things all work better here with Ethernet
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
philpalmiero Avatar
12 weeks ago
Apple should just include a USB port with support for an external camera. Easy-peasy.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DigitalAR Avatar
12 weeks ago
The only way they release one of these under $99 is if it benefits the Apple Corporation more so than the customers.

Kinda like how 4K TVs can be found for less than $178. These companies make way more money from you once the tech is inside your home.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
12 weeks ago
Not sure how they will gimp the Apple TV to get the price even lower, but I never underestimate Tim's miserly ways

With the current versions, restricting the Ethernet port to a totally useless (but more expensive of course) higher storage tier was really something
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JeffPerrin Avatar
12 weeks ago
Scratching my head on this one. The only new "feature" rumored is a FaceTime camera? 'Cha, right! <Wayne's World speak> Not likely since this would require specific user placement of the ATV. A USB port with support for eternal webcams would be more appropriate.

IMO, if Apple is not going to court AAA game houses into supporting a full-fledged ATV gaming system (ie. a "pro" model ATV), they should just drop the price to help promote sales and extend the reach of the Apple ecosystem.

?‍♂️?‍♂️?‍♂️
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
burgman Avatar
12 weeks ago

why are you lying? 6Ghz does not give faster speed
6E uses a less congested frequency band and ultra-wide data channels that's where the speed increase comes from.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)