Evidence that Apple is developing a new home accessory powered by tvOS
Much like the HomePod speaker and the Apple TV streaming box, Apple’s mysterious home accessory will also be powered by a variant of tvOS.
Nicolás Alvarez has dug up some interesting code strings on Apple’s servers, which indicate that Apple may be developing a new accessory for the smart home.
“The code references a device with the identifier ‘HomeAccessory17,1,’ which is a new identifier category. The name resembles the HomePod’s ‘AudioAccessory’ identifier,” explains MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.
He says the “17,1” in the string references an unreleased Apple chip, likely the A18, which will power all iPhone 16 models this year. “With the A18 chip, the HomeAccessory device would have the power for Apple Intelligence,” Perris noted.
Apple’s upcoming home accessory will be powered by tvOS
Apple might be working on a new software to power smart home accessories called “homeOS.” We caught first glimpses of homeOS in a job listing posted back in 2021. Then, in January 2024, references to “homeOS” were unearthed from the iOS 17.4 code, suggesting that work on homeOS continues unabated behind the scenes.
Apple is rumored to be exploring future devices after shutting down its electric car project and some other initiatives that failed to bear fruit.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported Apple could be looking into a HomePod with an integrated touchscreen to compete with Amazon’s Echo Show, Meta’s Portal and Google’s Nest Hub. Another potential device coming out of Apple’s kitchen could be an iPad-like smart display equipped with a FaceTime camera mounted on a robotic arm that would rotate to follow the person in the room.
Are new Apple TVs in the works?
The latest code strings also reference two unreleased Apple TV models, which could be launched later in 2024 with the identifiers AppleTV14,4 and AppleTV14,5. The current model is the third-generation Apple TV 4K, released in October 2022.
It didn’t bring much in terms of improved hardware aside from a USB-C-based Siri Remote and the A15 Bionic chip that enables HDR10+ video support and makes the current model a tad lighter and a bit smaller.
The iPhone maker will refresh the Apple TV and HomePod operating system with the release of the forthcoming tvOS 18 software update this fall.
tvOS 18 brings AirPlay and subtitle improvements
tvOS 18 doesn’t bring many new features, however, aside from upgraded AirPlay with support for beaming spatial audio and automatic subtitles when the Mute button is pressed or the volume brought all the way down (this feature is also available across iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sonoma)l
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2024/07/05/apple-home-accessory-rumor-server-code-strings/
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