Apple is bringing its smarter Siri to the HomePod, according to code found in a new software update.
Developer pdfu discovered that HomePod Software 27 includes Linwood, the system that powers Siri AI, along with new status lights in white, blue and orange to match Siri AI's look on other devices. The catch: HomePod Software 27 is already out, and Siri AI isn't working on current HomePods, which suggests the feature is tied to hardware Apple hasn't shipped yet. Apple is also reportedly prepping an updated HomePod mini with a faster S9 or S11 chip, a new N1 networking chip, an updated Ultra Wideband chip and new colors, plus an Apple TV 4K that can run Siri AI and a dedicated home hub. All of it could arrive as soon as October, alongside a full-size HomePod refresh with no announced timeline.
This is Apple retrofitting its smart speaker line for an AI assistant it promised, then delayed, for over a year. Gating Siri AI behind new silicon means anyone who bought a HomePod or HomePod mini in recent years is effectively being asked to buy new hardware to get software Apple already marketed under the Apple Intelligence name.
Apple Intelligence increasingly looks less like a software update and more like a hardware upgrade cycle wearing a software company's branding.