Display supplier for long-rumored HomePod with screen may have been selected
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An artist's rendition of a HomePod with a display. A report claims that a supplier has been picked for the display for a new HomePod with screen — perhaps fulfilling a prediction made almost two years ago. HomePod with touch screen displays have been running for a long time, with a release date always seemingly six months or more away. However, if a report on Friday morning by DigiTimes is to be believed, Apple has picked a supplier for the screen.
Tianma, a Chinese screen manufacturer, has reportedly been picked to supply the OLED screen for the long-rumored device. And, a company also said to be attached to the project, BYD, is said to be the only assembler of the product. At present, Tianma appears to mostly supply the automotive industry with displays. They supply more than OLED, with supply lines for MicroLED, and touch screen layering on existing screens. The company is well-established in China, with a large US presence as well.
The company was predicted to be a supplier for the HomePod screen by none other than Ming Chi Kuo almost two years ago. In a prediction made in March 2023, Kuo was particular about what he believed was coming. "I predict that Apple will unveil a redesigned HomePod featuring a 7-inch panel in 1H24, with Tianma as the exclusive panel supplier," he said at the time. "The HomePod, which equips a panel, could enable tighter integration with Apple's other hardware products, marking a significant shift in the company's smart home strategy.".
