Apple's homepod may include face id technology, but not its first generation

We are a few weeks, perhaps days, away from Apple officially launching its highly anticipated, more music-focused smart speaker, announced during the last WWDC in June under the name HomePod . And although this device has not yet been commercialized, the first rumors about the next versions are already emerging.

A HomePod with Face ID

During the past weekend, a new rumor has emerged that future versions of the HomePod could come with 3D cameras compatible with Face ID, a technology similar to that already included in the new iPhone X. In particular, he has been the president of Inventec Appliances David Ho, who recently mentioned that the company is seeing a trend toward incorporating image and facial recognition technology into smart speakers, although the executive did not specify any specific model.

Ho made this comment after the last Inventec earnings conference, and analysts who quickly listened to him speculated that he was probably referring to "the next generation of Apple's HomePod." And this why? Currently, Inventec Appliances is currently the sole provider of AirPods and HomePod, but it also makes Xiaomi smartphones, Fitbit devices, and Sonos speakers, among others. Given the company's ties to Apple, analyst Jeff Pu predicts Ho's comments could suggest a HomePod with Face ID technology in 2019.

The HomePod will launch next December, although Apple has not yet confirmed an exact release date. First announced during the last Word Wide Developer Conference in June, the company explained that it will be a music-focused speaker with high-quality sound, deep Siri integration and spatial recognition to provide the best sound in any space.