Apple adds FaceTime framework to tvOS, HomePod amid rumors of cameras and screens

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How to make a FaceTime call on iPhone, iPad, or Mac
How to make a FaceTime call on iPhone, iPad, or Mac (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Apple reportedly added a FaceTime framework to tvOS and HomePod as a result.
  • There are new rumors that a HomePod with a screen and camera is being worked on.

Amid rumors that Apple is working on a HomePod with a screen and camera, a new report notes that Apple has also added a FaceTime framework to tvOS. That, as a result, also means that it can be used by future HomePods.

As reported by MacRumors, the inclusion of a FaceTime framework as well as new AVFCapture framework to tvOS 14.5 means that a future HomePod could also make use of them. Apple's HomePods now use a version of tvOS, rather than iOS.

You might be wondering what tvOS code has to do with the HomePod, but in April 2020 Apple began using tvOS as the basis for the software that runs on the ‌HomePod‌ rather than iOS. watchOS, tvOS, and the software that runs on the ‌HomePod‌ are all variants of iOS, but each one is differentiated by the device the software is intended to run on with unique interfaces, APIs, and more.

Apple recently discontinued its full-size HomePod, leaving HomePod mini as the only surviving smart speaker. The arrival of a new smart speaker with a screen and camera could explain why HomePod was killed off, and these new framework developments just add further fuel to that particular fire. A HomePod of some sort with support for FaceTime could be a killer feature for Apple.

There are tons of options around but these are some of the best smart speakers on the market today. Apple has plenty to compete with whether it ads a screen and camera or not.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.