Apple released the first beta of iOS 16 and Co. yesterday evening. Now references to an unreleased HomePod model have been discovered.
On Monday, Apple announced iOS 16, the next major operating system release for the iPhone. The first developer beta is already available and many have been digging through the code to find out what hidden features are waiting to be discovered. As it turns out, the iOS 16 beta code actually contains a little secret - a hint about the next Apple HomePod. However, the code makes it clear that it is not the HomePod mini or the original HomePod. The unknown HomePod, first spotted by 9to5mac discovered is referred to internally as "AudioAccessory6" while the HomePod mini is labeled "AudioAccessory5" and the original HomePod is labeled "AudioAccessory1". However, exact details about the range of functions of the new model are not available.
iOS 16 Beta: Will Apple announce a new HomePod this fall?
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that a new HomePod could launch in late 2022 or 2023. He did not say whether it will be a HomePod like the first model or a second-generation HomePod mini. Since the HomePod is a product that is not regularly updated, like the iPhone, when Apple will launch a new HomePod model is much harder to pinpoint. There were two major HomePod launches in February 2018 and November 2020, which is 2 years and 9 months apart between the models. There is no set cycle that would suggest a specific launch date, so things should remain pretty exciting. (Photo by Unsplash / Przemyslaw Marczynski)
