Top analyst says that Apple will try again with the HomePod

Apple never was able to hit a home run in the smart speaker market. The company’s HomePod was pricey at $349 when it was released in February 2018. Eventually Apple cut the price by $50 to $299, but that still wasn’t enough for Apple to gain some traction. Eventually, Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020 priced at $99 to compete with the smaller and cheaper models made by Amazon and Google.

Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t expect Apple to make huge changes in design for a new HomePod device

Another possibility is a new version of the HomePod mini. Either way, Kuo says not to expect much of a change in hardware design. The analyst specifically said, “there may not be much innovation in hardware design.” Kuo also says that while smart speakers are “undoubtedly one of the essential elements of the home ecosystem,” he believes that Apple has yet to figure out a way where it can be successful in this market.

The original Apple HomePod was too expensive thanks to its ambitious speaker design

At present, Siri trails both Google Assistant and Alexa when it comes to intelligence, comprehension, and according to many phone enthusiasts, looks. If Apple can develop a new and improved HomePod, it will help the company create a smart speaker that would be great for the living room and other large rooms inside the house. And the HomePod mini could be used in smaller rooms where the huge speaker size of the original model is not required.