It's always fun to hear rumors on a second generation of a product that hasn't even launched yet!
The first generation of Apple’s HomePod smart speaker isn’t available to consumers until next month, but a new report from Nikkei is already looking to the future. The report suggests that Apple may be working to include its Face ID technology in HomePod by 2019…
Nikkei cites analysts in saying he’s likely referring to “the next generation of Apple’s HomePod.”
“We see trends that engineers are designing smart speakers that will not only come with voice recognition but also incorporate features such as facial and image recognition,” President David Ho told reporters after the company’s earnings conference.
“Such AI-related features are set to make people’s lives more convenient and to make the product easier to use.”
As for when Face ID could make its way to the HomePod:
Jeff Pu, an analyst at Yuanta Investment Consulting, said Apple could roll out HomePods with 3D-sensing cameras in 2019.