tvOS 18 beta 3 brings details on Apple’s touchscreen HomePod

We’ve been talking about a possible new Apple product that would be a hybrid between an Apple TV and a HomePod with a touchscreen for much of 2024. In fact, last week we reported that bits of code had been found in the Apple operating systems of a new Home accessories with A18 chip, which could be a new designation by the company for this new product. Today, we take another step forward and An interface called PlasterBoard was discovered in tvOS 18 beta 3

who could be the one who would have the touchscreen of this possible HomePod with a touchscreen. We tell you everything below.

HomePod with touchscreen is closer than ever

The American media 9to5mac has taken charge of breaking down all the new source code of beta 3 of tvOS 18, which was also launched last Monday along with the rest of the operating systems such as iOS 18 or iPadOS 18. In part of this source code, it has detected an interface called “PlasterBoard”,

a concept similar to that used in iOS 18 as SpringBoard or PineBoard in tvOS, which is nothing more than the main screen of the operating system where the applications are located and where the user can interact first-hand.

Apparently, this interface is very underdeveloped and It could be the lock screen with a touchpad to enter passcodes. It wouldn’t be surprising if Apple were to run several prototypes of future new products for this supposed HomePod with touchscreen, but for the moment there is no product whose interface would adapt to this one that they have called PlasterBoard. In fact, the current HomePod only supports simple gesture controls, without touchscreen interaction of this caliber.

We’ll see if this discovery goes anywhere or if Apple is just playing games with us or with whatever prototypes they have testing right now.