At its Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple Apple unveils HomePod today. The speaker has to do for music at home what the iPod did before for music on the go. The HomePod will be introduced later this year, but Apple already showed a few things about the speaker at the conference. The HomePod must compete with Google Home and the Amazon Echo in terms of smart functionality , while in terms of sound reproduction it must be able to measure itself with the quality of the speakers from Sonos.
Apple unveils HomePod and Siri
In terms of smart functionality, the HomePod features Siri, Apple’s voice control program. The device is equipped with six microphones that can process user voice commands. In addition to choosing music, Siri should also be able to answer your questions about specific songs, such as who plays guitar on a particular track. The HomePod can play music via Apple Music, but it is still unknown whether other music services such as Spotify can soon be integrated.
With support for HomeKit , you can also use the HomePod as your personal assistant, just as you can with Google Home and the Amazon Echo. You can also set updates and reminders in the field of personal appointments, news, sports, traffic and the weather. The HomePod can also be used as a smart hub, so you can operate smart home products even when you are not at home.
Spatial Awareness
For the reproduction of the music, the speaker uses something that Apple calls ‘spatial awareness’. As a result, the device knows where the objects in the listening room are and adapts accordingly by sending sound in specific directions to fill the entire room with music. The device has its own subwoofer for this, plus seven tweeters, each with its own driver. The speaker is controlled by Apple’s A8 processor, which can also be found in the iPhone 6.
The HomePod will be available in the US, UK and Australia from December and will be priced at $ 349. Next year, the speaker will appear in more countries, but Apple has not yet revealed which one.
