San Francisco, Mar 10 (IANS): Apple will reportedly unveil a redesigned HomePod featuring a 7-inch panel in the first half of next year, with the Chinese firm as the exclusive panel supplier.

"Tianma is set to debut in Apple's supply chain, becoming a new beneficiary of Apple's revamped smart home strategy," analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a blogpost on Friday.

"The HomePod, which equips a panel, could enable tighter integration with Apple's other hardware products, marking a significant shift in the company's smart home strategy."

He also said that the Chinese firm's long-term prospects in the iPhone maker's supply chain "look promising".

If the shipments go well, Tianma's next orders from the tech giant might be iPad panels.

"Tianma's Android smartphone panel production capacity is full currently, and its capacity utilisation rate surpasses its competitors," Kuo mentioned.

If this continues until the second half of this year, its revenue and profit this year might exceed market expectations, he added.

Last month, Kuo had said that Apple will start mass shipments of a new 'HomePod mini 2' in the second half of next year.