Apple’s first (and so far only) smart speaker is certainly not selling as well as Amazon’s extensive Echo lineup or the ever-growing (and growingly popular) Google Home product roster.

But the HomePod is probably not going anywhere, as evidenced by a corporate acquisition from a few months back that’s likely connected to the future development of Apple’s AI-powered technologies.

While it remains unclear if a sequel is around the corner, a recently published patent application includes some very intriguing information about Apple’s conceptual plans for the long-term evolution ...