New Apple TV with many innovations later this year
Long delivery times, delayed releases and powerful AI chips: Apple is preparing its next generation for the domestic smart home. A brand new Apple TV and a revised HomePod Mini are now apparently in the starting blocks.
Advice from all sides
Apple apparently wants to renew its smart home hardware in autumn 2026. A new Apple TV and a revised version of the HomePod Mini are planned. Both products have been under discussion for months, but their introduction is said to have been postponed due to delays in the development of the new Siri version. Now that Siri AI is now available in an open test phase, the appropriate new devices could now follow. The longer delivery times for current models also serve as a note: As MacRumors reports the Apple TV 4K will not be available again until October. For the HomePod Mini, individual colors will only be available in November or will already be sold out. This may indicate that Apple is reducing its inventory before a model change.
There is also information from Mark Gurman, who is considered a reliable source when it comes to rumors about new launches. He had already reported in his PowerOn newsletter that new versions of Apple TV and HomePod Mini will be launched in 2026.
More power and new radio technology
The current Apple TV 4K is from 2022 and uses the A15 chip. An A19 processor is apparently planned for the successor. This should offer enough power to run AI functions and parts of the new Siri processing directly on the device. The HomePod Mini, which was introduced in 2020, is expected to feature a new processor and a modern network chip. Apple could also improve ultra-wideband technology. It enables more precise location of other nearby devices.
New components could increase prices. The Apple TV 4K currently costs from 229 euros in Germany for the WLAN version with 64 GB of storage. The version with WLAN, Ethernet, thread support and 128 GB of memory costs 299 euros. The HomePod Mini is available in the Apple Store for 139 euros. It is unlikely that prices will remain this way.
