For months we’ve been hearing rumors and speculations about a new Apple device: a HomePod with a screen. The evidence of this innovation seems to have been confirmed with the discovery of a touch interface in the latest beta version of tvOS 18, intended for developers.
A code that reveals more than meets the eye
The new tvOS interface, internally codenamed “PlasterBoard”, is similar to SpringBoard, the iOS operating system. According to 9to5Mac, which had access to the code of tvOS 18 beta 3, PlasterBoard offers essential elements of the system interface. The interface was, of course, intended to remain concealed from the public, but somebody has found a way to access it.
It features a lock screen and digital keyboard to enter the access code, very similar to those found on iPhone and iPad. The code details and interface behavior suggest a design for touch screens, not televisions. Furthermore, there’s no option to lock the Apple TV with an access code; thus, a direct relation to a HomePod with a screen or a similar home automation device is quickly assumed.
The appearance of a new device identifier in the code, “HomeAccessory17,1”, which doesn’t correspond to any currently available Apple product and is very similar to the “AudioAccessory” identifier used for HomePods, adds more weight to the rumors. This device would also operate on tvOS, but it would do so using the A18 chip.
It’s too early to draw conclusions. It’s too early to know when this device might arrive or if it will, but the appearance of this kind of code in a public version of an operating system, even if it’s a beta, is noteworthy.
Without being perfectly definitive, this is further evidence that Apple is indeed working on a new version of the HomePod with a screen that would run a modified version of tvOS adapted for touchscreens. Bloomberg reported a few months ago that the product could be announced in 2025. We will see exactly what specifications and capabilities it’ll have.
With each leak and discovery in the code, expectation grows. We expect that the references will disappear in a subsequent beta. Truthfully, they should never have been there, although it’s also still possible that we’ll be surprised. In any case, between this fall and spring of 2025, we will be attentive. This inclusion in a beta scheduled to be released in a few months could accelerate the timing announced by Bloomberg, so we must be very alert.
