Supply Chain Forming for 2025 HomePod With LCD Display
The supply chain for Apple's upcoming HomePod or smart home "Command Center" with an LCD display is increasingly visible as launch approaches, DigiTimes reports.
The paywalled report claims that the device's 7-inch LCD panel will be exclusively supplied by Tianma Microelectronics in China, corroborating other reports dating back to early 2023.
The display panels are believed to cost just $10 each, undercutting other suppliers. Tianma doesn't currently make any displays for existing Apple products, with the company usually opting for the likes of Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE.
DigiTimes adds that Taiwan's Radiant Optoelectronics will handle backlight module production, while China's BYD will be the sole assembly partner.
The device was originally rumored launch in early 2024, but faced repeated delays, initially to late 2024. Supply chain sources claim that Apple issued a shipment schedule targeting a launch in March 2025, but this timeline may have now slipped to the second half of 2025.
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