There’s probably no bigger confirmation than this, but the latest tvOS 18 beta 3 reveals a hidden touch-screen interface.
tvOS 18 Beta 3 has a Hidden UI Meant for a Touch-Screen, Most Likely Apple’s New HomePod with Built-in Display
The discovery was made by 9to5Mac and they found a UI hidden deep inside the code of tvOS 18 beta 3 that shows a screen where you enter a PIN code.
The thing is, there’s no such thing needed in tvOS unless we are dealing with an element that requires a touch-screen. Basically, this confirms Apple’s plans for a device with a touch-screen running a version of tvOS.
Interestingly, we’ve been constantly hearing about Apple working on a HomePod with a touch-screen display. We came across a report saying it will be powered by the A18 chip while another report said it will be a table-top robot.
As we see this latest leak, it is becoming clear that it is likely a HomePod with a touch-screen display that runs some form of tvOS software. This will likely be a device tailor-made for Apple Intelligence.
There’s also a chance Apple may thrown in robotic features with this device, too. Such as a display that rotates and faces the user that is interacting with it. A FaceTime camera could also be a possibility here and it makes perfect sense on such device and let me explain why.
With recent tvOS updates, Apple has brought FaceTime to tvOS with the help of the Continuity Camera features on iPhone. If anything, FaceTime is definitely coming to this HomePod and it will have a built-in camera.
The last part is just a wild guess, and there are a ton of things we don’t know about the device.
The coming days are definitely going to be very exciting. We have the iPhone 16 announcement to look forward to and Apple’s definitely going to announce a device that is meant for the living room packed with Apple Intelligence. Let’s see how this one pans out.
