Whispers of an Apple smart speaker equipped with a built-in display have been circulating for years. Now, MacRumors claims to have found concrete evidence in Apple’s backend code, hinting at the existence of a mysterious home accessory codenamed ‘HomeAccessory17,1.’
This discovery is significant as it’s the first Apple device tagged with ‘HomeAccessory,’ suggesting a whole new product category. The code also indicates that the device could be powered by the A18 chip, the same one expected in the iPhone 16 lineup. This opens the possibility of the device running Apple Intelligence, the company’s new AI platform, and an upgraded version of Siri.
Furthermore, the code suggests the device might run on a variant of the Apple TV’s tvOS, which could be an early iteration of the rumored ‘homeOS’ designed specifically for smart home devices.
While not definitive proof, this discovery adds weight to the long-standing rumor of a HomePod-like speaker with an adjustable touchscreen display, possibly running Apple Intelligence and the enhanced Siri. If true, this could be a game-changer in the smart home market, positioning Apple to compete with Amazon’s Echo Show and similar devices.
Alongside this intriguing development, the code also references two unreleased Apple TV models, hinting at a potential product refresh later in 2024.
