It was at WWCD (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2017 that Apple made the big announcement of stepping into the audio entertainment space with the unveiling of the Apple HomePod.
Many were rearing to have a go at Apple’s new bluetooth smart speaker and now they’ll finally get the opportunity on 9 February when Apple will make the device available for purchase online. It will be available at an Apple retail price for $349 (roughly Rs 22,280).
The Apple HomePod is compatible with iPhone 5s or later, iPad Pro, iPad Air or later, iPad mini 2 or later, or iPod touch (6th generation) with iOS 11.2.5 or later.
The speaker will only be available in select countries initially, namely US, UK and Australia. France and Germany will receive the product this spring. Currently, there is no news on when the Apple HomePod will make its way to India — if ever!
The Apple HomePod is compatible with Siri, which means you will be able to interact and perform various tasks like playing music or setting reminder just using your voice. Using the HomePod one can also send a message, set a timer, play a podcast, check the news, sports, traffic and weather, and even control a wide range of HomeKit smart home accessories.
HomePod is a magical new music experience from Apple. It brings advanced audio technologies like beam-forming tweeters, a high-excursion woofer, and automatic spatial awareness, together with the entire Apple Music catalog and the latest Siri intelligence, in a simple, beautiful design that is so much fun to usePhilip Schiller, Senior VP, Worldwide Marketing, Apple Inc
The HomePod is a 7-inch-tall speaker that is powered by Apple’s A8 chip, delivering good sound quality. Thanks to an array of 6 microphones it is much easier to interact with Siri even if you are in a room that’s playing loud music.
The device has been manufactured in a way to work with the Apple Music subscription so that it also learns preferences and tastes that are shared across devices.
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