Report: Apple developing combined STB/HomePod
April 13, 2021
In a move that would boost its presence in the smart home space, Apple is working on a product that would combine an Apple TV set-top box with a HomePod speaker and include a camera for video conferencing through a connected TV and other smart home functions, according to Bloomberg.
Other capabilities would include standard Apple TV box functions such as watching video and gaming, as well as standard smart speaker uses such as playing music and using Apple’s Siri digital assistant.
Amazon led the overall smart speaker market in Q4 with a 28.3 per cent share of global shipments, according to Strategy Analytics. Apple saw its global shipments grew by 74 per cent year-over-year following the launch of the $99 HomePod Mini in November Its market share reached a record 7.8 per cent in Q4 2020, an increase of 3.1 per cent over the previous year.