The HomePod with screen, often nicknamed “Homepad”, still arouses as many expectations. Initially scheduled for spring 2025, this new device that would mix the features of a HomePod and an iPad was postponed in the third quarter of 2025 according to Ming-Chi Kuo, mainly due to software challenges. Traces of its existence have also been discovered in the IOS 18.6 code with a probable screen of around 8 inch and a dedicated operating system called Homeos.
While waiting for the arrival of this new device, Apple is preparing some improvements for current homepods with the HomePod 26 update. If the latter has not yet been officially announced during the WWDC 2025 Keynote, a beta version is already circulating with some privileged testers.
Less advanced musical transitions than on your other devices
The new feature AutoMix d’Apple Musicwhich uses artificial intelligence to create Fluid transitions Between your songs, will be present on iPhone, iPad and Mac with iOS 26. This technology intelligently analyzes the songs to create fonduses chained perfectly suited to the rhythm and the tone of each song.
If you have a homepod, know that he However, will not benefit from Automix in the immediate future. The connected speaker will receive a more basic chained melted functionsimilar to that introduced on the other Apple devices two years ago with iOS 17. This difference in treatment could disappoint audiophiles who hoped to take advantage of the IA transitions on their enclosure.
Simplified Wi-Fi management and limited distribution
The other significant improvement concerns the network connection of the HomePod. You can now Manually select your favorite Wi-Fi networkaccording to information shared by Nils Streedain in a Bluesky publication. This option is particularly useful if you have a complex network installation with several SSIDs.
New Wi-Fi Network selector for added HomePods!
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– Nils Stridain (@nilsstreedain.com) 12 Juin 2025 to 19:50
Apple has also confirmed that public beta versions of the HomePod 26 software will soon be available. This change marks a notable evolution after the problems caused by the beta of the Homepod Software 15. This version had caused extreme overheating, spontaneous extinctions, and, in several cases, serious damage to the printed circuits of the devices.
Users had no restoration options, transforming certain speakers into real unusable objects. Apple now seems confident enough in the stability of its new software to open it to a wider audience.
