Apple is reportedly developing a new generation of its larger HomePod, focusing on internal enhancements like a new processor and advanced Siri AI features, though a wider release may be delayed until spring due to regional and regulatory challenges.
Apple may be preparing a broader refresh of its home hardware line, and the larger HomePod could finally be due for an update. Reporting around the product points to a new generation that would sit alongside the already rumoured HomePod mini 2, Apple TV 4K refresh and a HomePod with a display. The clearest thread in the leaks is that Apple is not simply revisiting the speaker’s industrial design, but is trying to reposition it around a new generation of Siri and Apple Intelligence features. According to Applesfera, Mark Gurman has suggested that a refreshed full-size HomePod is in development, even if it may not appear immediately.
The most important change would be internal rather than cosmetic. The new model is expected to use a newer processor, probably the S11 class chip already linked with recent Apple Watch hardware, in order to support Apple Intelligence and, more specifically, Siri AI. That matters because the HomePod is controlled primarily through voice, which makes it one of the devices most dependent on Apple’s assistant. The implication is that Apple is preparing the speaker to inherit the same broader Siri overhaul expected on iPhone, iPad and Mac, although it remains unclear whether the HomePod version would differ in any meaningful way from those platforms.
There is, however, a practical complication for European users. Applesfera noted that Apple’s AI features are still subject to regional limits on some devices, and a HomePod linked closely to an iPhone for processing could face similar constraints. That makes the product’s likely availability in Europe uncertain until the legal and regulatory position is clearer. Even if Apple resolves that issue, the timeline may still be delayed: reporting cited by Applesfera indicates that the larger HomePod is unlikely to be part of the October product wave and could instead arrive in spring, especially if Apple does move towards a more staggered launch calendar.
The idea of a third-generation HomePod is notable because the larger speaker has had an uneven commercial life. Apple discontinued the original model in 2021 in favour of the cheaper HomePod mini, only for the full-size speaker to become more desirable on the second-hand market. Apple then unexpectedly revived the format in January 2023 with the HomePod 2, but the model remained a relatively niche product at €349 and later €399, burdened by Siri’s limitations and a narrower ecosystem than rival smart speakers.
That context makes the latest rumours more interesting, because Apple appears to have a clearer reason to keep the product alive: the company may now see a modernised Siri as the feature that can give the larger HomePod a purpose beyond audio alone. Separate reports on Apple’s own code have already pointed to a HomePod mini 2, Apple TV 4K and other unreleased devices, with the compact speaker expected to gain a new chip and support for Apple Intelligence. What remains uncertain is whether the full-size HomePod will follow soon afterwards or continue to drift towards a later launch window.
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