Apple is about to refresh much of its smart home lineup, but the full-sized HomePod won’t be part of the October 13 announcement.
A new version of Apple’s larger smart speaker is still in development, according to a new Bloomberg report, though its release is planned for a later date that hasn’t been specified.
Apple will instead use October 13 to introduce a new HomePod mini, fourth-generation Apple TV and its first dedicated smart home hub.
The omission leaves the $349 HomePod in an unusual position as Apple begins rebuilding its home lineup around a much more capable version of Siri.
The current HomePod is running on aging hardware
Apple introduced the second-generation HomePod in January 2023 with the S7 chip originally developed for the Apple Watch Series 7, leaving its flagship smart speaker on a processor that dates back to 2021.
That’s increasingly relevant as Apple brings its new Siri AI features into the home. The upcoming HomePod mini and Apple TV are expected to receive faster processors capable of supporting those features, while Apple’s new smart home hub has been designed around the upgraded assistant from the beginning.
A third-generation HomePod would presumably need newer hardware to participate fully in that ecosystem.
Previous reporting has pointed to a faster processor and Apple’s N1 wireless chip, which could bring newer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, although specifications for the next model haven’t been confirmed.
The larger HomePod also occupies a different role from the mini. Two can be paired with an Apple TV 4K and used as its default stereo speakers, with support for Dolby Atmos, giving Apple a living-room audio setup that the smaller HomePod isn’t really designed to replace.
That makes the lack of an October refresh more noticeable. Apple is preparing to update the Apple TV sitting at the center of that setup while leaving the speakers paired with it on older hardware.
The HomePod is back to its original $349 price
The full-sized HomePod has had an unusual history since Apple first introduced it in 2018 for $349. Apple later cut the price to $299 before discontinuing the speaker entirely in 2021 after it struggled to gain traction against cheaper smart speakers from Amazon and Google.
Apple reversed course in 2023 with the second-generation HomePod, bringing it back at $299 with a similar design and updated audio hardware.
The company then raised the price to $349 in June 2026, returning the HomePod to the same starting price as the original model eight years earlier.
That price is harder to separate from the age of the hardware now inside it. Someone buying Apple’s most expensive smart speaker today is paying $349 for a model powered by the S7 just as Apple prepares newer home products specifically for its next generation of Siri.
The good news for anyone considering one is that Apple apparently isn’t abandoning the full-sized HomePod again. A successor remains in development, but it will arrive after Apple’s October 13 smart home rollout rather than alongside it.
