HomePod prototype with touchscreen LCD on top shows up in new images

9 months ago

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A few months ago, Apple prototype collector Kosutami shared the first images of a prototype HomePod with an LCD display on top. The images have since been corroborated as we heard from independent sources that the prototype is likely for an upcoming generation of the HomePod. Kosutami is now back with more images of the HomePod prototype with an LCD.

HomePod is about to get an LCD display

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami shared a few more details about this prototype HomePod. According to the collector, the model identified as B720 has exactly the same size and design as the second-generation HomePod introduced earlier this year. Even the display area at the top is the same size, but of course, the main difference here is the LCD.

Current HomePod models do not have an LCD. Instead, they have a combination of LEDs that can display different colors. However, to make the product more appealing to customers, Apple has been working on new versions of the HomePod with a fully functional display.

The screen itself looks flat, but Kosutami says it will be covered by convex glass – which can be seen in the prototype image shared in October. It’s still unclear what the interface will look like, but 9to5Mac has previously learned that the screen will show basic information about media being played in apps such as Apple Music and Apple Podcasts.

The display on the HomePod could also show some important notifications, potentially to let users answer phone calls and reply to messages.

Apple actively working on new HomePod with an LCD screen on top, sources say

Apple has been internally exploring many HomePod prototypes with a display, including one that looks similar to an Amazon Echo Show. However, the B720 prototype leaked by Kosutami seems more likely to be announced in the near future, while more ambitious ideas may still take a while to see the light of day.

Of course, Apple can always end up scrapping the prototype and pretending it never existed. What do you think of the idea of a HomePod with an LCD display on top? Let us know in the comments section below.