Chinese firm to supply Apple HomePod's 7-inch panel: Report - The Free Media

Chinese firm to supply Apple HomePod’s 7-inch panel: Report

Apple will reportedly unveil a redesigned HomePod with a 7-inch panel in the first half of next year, with the Chinese firm serving as the sole panel supplier.

“Tianma is set to debut in Apple’s supply chain, becoming a new beneficiary of Apple’s revamped smart home strategy,” analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a blog post on Friday.

“The HomePod, which includes a panel, could enable tighter integration with Apple’s other hardware products, signalling a significant shift in the company’s smart home strategy.”

He also said that the Chinese firm’s long-term prospects in the iPhone maker’s supply chain “look promising”.

Tianma’s next order from the tech giant could be iPad panels if the shipments go well.

“Tianma’s Android smartphone panel production capacity is currently full, and its capacity utilisation rate exceeds that of its competitors,” Kuo said.

If this trend continues through the second half of the year, the company’s revenue and profit this year may exceed market expectations, he added.

Last month, Kuo predicted that Apple would begin mass production of a new ‘HomePod mini 2’ in the second half of next year.