It looks like Apple won't make room for any third-party HomePod apps (AAPL)

Excitement for Smart Home Speakers

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence IoT Briefing subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.

Apple has released the firmware for its upcoming HomePod smart speaker, and developers poring over the code were able to learn a number of key details about the device, according to 9to5Mac.

Most importantly, there is no indication from that code that the HomePod will feature a framework for third-party apps or extensions.

Launching a smart speaker without the ability to leverage outside services could put Apple’s device at a disadvantage as it enters a new but fast-settling market.

Both Amazon and Google offer development tools for their smart speakers. Amazon’s Echo has an active developer community that has created over 15,000 skills — Amazon’s term for an Alexa voice-based app — that underpin much of the speaker's functionality. Google’s Home offers a more limited set of voice apps — 378 at last count — but still gives users the opportunity to integrate their speaker with outside products and services.
Siri’s existing features could help users to miss voice apps less. With an Echo, a user needs a third-party skill to control smart home devices. But Apple offers that directly using its HomeKit smart home ecosystem and Home app, which gives it more control over the experience and a better ability to adjust based on user feedback.
And HomePod's debut is still a long way off. Apple’s smart speaker won’t go on sale until December, so it may still update the device’s software to support third-party apps. The HomePod will run a variant of iOS — the same software that powers the iPhone and iPad — so Apple likely wouldn’t face too many hurdles creating a framework for third-party voice apps.

Though Apple might appear to be holding back its HomePod’s potential for growth, it’s followed a very similar path before. The iPhone was released in 2007 without any third-party apps, and generated excitement and moderate sales. But with the release of the iPhone 3G and the introduction of the App Store in late 2008, device sales climbed dramatically and an ecosystem developed around the device. Apple could be trying to pursue the same basic model, but Amazon is generating more excitement for its new Echo Show than Apple has for the HomePod, and with over 10 million Echos in homes around the world, Apple might have a tougher time dislodging today’s incumbents in the smart speaker space.

Nicholas Shields, research associate for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on the US smart home market that:

Analyzes current consumer demand for smart home devices based off results from BI Intelligence's proprietary survey.
Forecasts future growth in the number of smart home devices installed in American homes.
Analyzes the factors influencing the proliferation of voice control devices in the homes.
Identifies and analyzes the market strategies of various companies that have integrated voice control into their smart home ecosystems.

To get the full report, subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> Learn More Now

You can also purchase and download the full report from our research store.

Join the conversation about this story »