In March of last year Apple decided to discontinue sales of the original HomePod to leave the entire speaker market in the hands of the HomePodmini. The low volume of sales and the versatility of the product made the big apple decide to stop selling the original to focus on the mini version of the HomePod with great features, more than enough quality and an affordable price. However, for many the HomePod mini leaves much to be desired and a concept has come out in recent days showing a Home Pod Touch. This product would be nothing more than a HomePod mini redesigned with a touch screen that would provide many more options than the current speaker of the Apple.
A touch screen that would bring the HomePod Touch to life
The current HomePod mini barely reaches 10 centimeters in height, but it is enough to emit high-quality sound in 360 degrees. In addition, the addition of another HomePod allows you to create stereo sound, guaranteeing surround sound in sound reproductions and multimedia content. But nevertheless, For many, the HomePod mini believes that it should be more than a speaker. But its specifications do not allow it to be exploited much more for what it was created for: to be a speaker.
That's why the guys from 9to5mac They have gone to work and have created a concept of what would be a new product from the Big Apple. A speaker on horseback between an Apple Watch and a HomePod, bridging the gap, which they have called Home Pod Touch. Let us remember that the current Apple mini speaker does not have a screen as such, but rather lights up with animations when we invoke Siri or modify the volume of the physical elements introduced at the top.
Sound and active interaction, protagonists of the product
This new HomePod Touch would incorporate a touch screen that would allow the user to actively interact with the HomePodOS interface. To ensure the usability of the HomePod the speaker would tilt slightly to leave the device tilted so that the user could touch the screen obliquely and not vertically as it happens now (but without a screen, of course).
The S5 chip that the current HomePod carries would also reach the HomePod Touch. This chip is also mounted on Apple Watches, so the HomePod operating system, audioOS, is also prepared to power the interface of a small screen, like the one shown in the concept. This screen would receive applications like Clock, with different spheres and interactions, multimedia control with song selection, lists, and playback control, call management, home automation control, etc.
That is, we would have control of all the actions that we can currently do with Siri on the screen. However, sometimes Siri limits a bit the use of all the functions of the HomePod. Having a screen would allow the user to have more visual control and interact with the system more directly.
As for the price, the creators of the concept put a cost of 199 dollars to the HomePod Touch. Having the $3 Apple Watch Series 199 as well, it would be a middle step between an original HomePod (no longer sold), a sensorless Apple Watch Series 3, and a HomePod mini. A 'Frankenstein' that would vitaminize the current HomePod mini.