APPLE'S ON A NEW BEAT WITH HOMEPOD

Apple is rumored to be developing a new iteration of its HomePod smart speaker, this time using Beats branding and hitting a $200 price point—$150 less than the current model.

Using Beats branding on the new model could give Apple a firmer grasp on the home device and speaker market, where Beats Pill speakers are currently priced anywhere from $120-230, without any vocal command features.

According to a report, the tech behemoth is working on the new product with MediaTek, the same company behind technology in HomePod's competitor, the Amazon Echo series.

Apple initially faced criticism for the HomePod's limited features, particularly regarding voice commands, compared to the market-leading Echo. Apple emphasized its device's primary function as a high-quality speaker while announcing its intention to add voice features later. The addition of MediaTek's technology, praised in Amazon's products, may add more personal-assistant capability into its current model.

In a related story, we asked Siri about nearby restaurants and she replied that we smoke too much weed.