Over the past few years, there have been several rumors of Apple working on various hybrid Apple TV and HomePod touchscreen devices, and new findings in the tvOS 18 update further hint at the developments Apple is making in the home space.
The unique touch interface was reportedly found buried in tvOS 18 beta 3 by 9 to 5 Macand the finding is actually relevant to the ‌HomePod‌ because the ‌HomePod‌ software is an offshoot of the tvOS software. The interface is called “PlasterBoard” internally, and PlasterBoard is consistent with the naming of other Apple interfaces, which include SpringBoard for iOS and iPadOS, PineBoard for tvOS, SoundBoard for ‌HomePod‌, and SurfBoard for visionOS. The interface seems to only feature a lock screen with a touch pad for entering passcodes right now, nothing else has been revealed.
‌Apple TV‌ does not include the ability to lock with a passcode, as does ‌HomePod‌, as ‌HomePod‌ only supports simple control gestures as of now. The design found in the beta version closely resembles the on-screen keyboard you see on an iPhone or iPad.
Rumors have suggested that Apple is working on several home control devices, and the mix of rumors we’ve heard suggests that several development paths and prototypes are being explored. There have been rumors of a simple ‌HomePod‌ with a touchscreen on top, a hybrid ‌HomePod‌ and Apple TV device with a camera, a ‌HomePod‌ with a screen and camera, and an iPad/HomePod combination that functions as a centralized home. hub.
A standard ‌HomePod‌ with an LED touchscreen at the top of the device could potentially be the first HomePod and display combination we see. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the HomePod with a 7-inch display will launch sometime in 2024, and prototype images have leaked.
Last week, MacRumors found code referring to device “HomeAccessory” with identifier HomeAccessory17,1. No existing ‌HomePod‌ or ‌Apple TV‌ devices use the HomeAccessory identifier, but it is similar to the AudioAccessory identifier that Apple uses internally for the ‌HomePod‌. Based on the numbering, this upcoming device is equipped with the same A18 chip that we expect in the iPhone 16 series.
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