New Apple TV 4K and HomePod poised for launch – there's just one thing that's been holding them back

Although Apple announced and launched a wide variety of devices this month, there were some absences – products we expected but failed to appear.

Among them were a new Apple TV 4K and a long-awaited refresh to the HomePod mini. Both have been rumoured for months, but as we revealed a couple of weeks ago, there have been waiting on one thing – Siri.

A new, AI-enhanced Siri has been touted for a couple of years, but it's only since Apple announced a deal with Google that it's gotten close to becoming reality.

Part-powered by Gemini, it has the potential to be a huge step-up for the voice assistant and much more useful for day-to-day tasks. However, it also continues to be the reason why new Siri-enabled devices have experienced delays.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman once again highlighted the issue in the latest issue of his Apple-centric PowerOn newsletter: "Apple has had fresh versions of at least the Apple TV and HomePod mini ready since last year, but it’s held off on releasing them because the company is waiting for the new Siri and other artificial intelligence upgrades," he wrote.

However, it seems that while this is likely to be the case, current Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini stock is said to be dwindling. And with Apple not restocking, it could be a sign that both will be replaced sooner than later.

"If the new hardware is indeed coming soon, it probably means Apple just got tired of waiting," suggested Gurman.

As for the new Siri, we might still have to wait until iOS 27 is released alongside the iPhone refresh in the autumn. It is believed that we'll be getting iPhone 18 Pro models in September, with iPhone Fold following a month or two later, and the standard iPhone 18 not arriving until next spring (alongside an iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2).

Considering the seismic shift in Apple's iPhone schedule, a Gemini-powered iOS 27 could prove the perfect distraction.