January 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
Apple introduces the brand new HomePod with breakthrough sound and intelligence
Delivering unimaginable audio high quality, enhanced Siri capabilities, and a protected and safe sensible house expertise
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple at this time introduced HomePod (2nd technology), a robust sensible speaker that delivers next-level acoustics in a stunning, iconic design. Filled with Apple improvements and Siri intelligence, HomePod gives superior computational audio for a groundbreaking listening expertise, together with help for immersive Spatial Audio tracks. With handy new methods to handle on a regular basis duties and management the sensible house, customers can now create sensible house automations utilizing Siri, get notified when a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is detected of their house, and test temperature and humidity in a room — all hands-free.
The brand new HomePod is out there to order on-line and within the Apple Retailer app beginning at this time, with availability starting Friday, February 3.
“Leveraging our audio experience and improvements, the brand new HomePod delivers wealthy, deep bass, pure mid-range, and clear, detailed highs,” stated Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vp of Worldwide Advertising. “With the recognition of HomePod mini, we’ve seen rising curiosity in much more highly effective acoustics achievable in a bigger HomePod. We’re thrilled to carry the subsequent technology of HomePod to prospects world wide.”
Refined Design
With a seamless, acoustically clear mesh cloth and a backlit contact floor that illuminates from edge to edge, the brand new HomePod boasts a wonderful design that enhances any house. HomePod is out there in white and midnight, a brand new colour made with 100% recycled mesh cloth, with a color-matched woven energy cable.
Acoustic Powerhouse
HomePod delivers unimaginable audio high quality, with wealthy, deep bass and gorgeous excessive frequencies. A custom-engineered high-excursion woofer, highly effective motor that drives the diaphragm a exceptional 20mm, built-in bass-EQ mic, and beamforming array of 5 tweeters across the base all work collectively to realize a robust acoustic expertise. The S7 chip is mixed with software program and system-sensing expertise to supply much more superior computational audio that maximizes the total potential of its acoustic system for a groundbreaking listening expertise.
With room sensing expertise, HomePod acknowledges sound reflections from close by surfaces to find out whether it is towards a wall or freestanding, after which adapts sound in actual time. Exact directional management of its beamforming array of 5 tweeters separates and beams direct and ambient audio, immersing listeners in crystal-clear vocals and wealthy instrumentation.
Customers can hearken to a catalog of over 100 million songs with Apple Music,1 get pleasure from Spatial Audio with a single HomePod or as a stereo pair, or create a fascinating house theater expertise with Apple TV 4K. With Siri, customers can entry a variety of music information, and search by artist, tune, lyrics, decade, style, temper, or exercise.
Elevated Expertise with A number of HomePod Audio system
Two or extra HomePod or HomePod mini audio system unlock a wide range of highly effective options. Utilizing multiroom audio with AirPlay,2 customers can merely say “Hey Siri,” or contact and maintain the highest of HomePod to play the identical tune on a number of HomePod audio system, play totally different songs on totally different HomePod audio system, and even use them as an intercom to broadcast messages to different rooms.
Customers can even create a stereo pair with two HomePod audio system in the identical house.3 Along with separating the left and proper channels, a stereo pair performs every channel in good concord, making a wider, extra immersive soundstage than conventional stereo audio system for a very standout listening expertise.
Seamless Integration with the Apple Ecosystem
Leveraging Extremely Wideband expertise, customers can hand off no matter they’re enjoying on iPhone — like a favourite tune, podcast, or perhaps a cellphone name — on to a HomePod.4 To simply management what’s enjoying or obtain personalised tune and podcast suggestions, anybody within the house can carry an iPhone near HomePod and ideas will floor routinely. HomePod can even acknowledge as much as six voices, so every member of the house can hear their private playlists, ask for reminders, and set calendar occasions.
HomePod simply pairs with Apple TV 4K for a robust house theater expertise, and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)5 help on Apple TV 4K allows prospects to make HomePod the audio system for all gadgets linked to the TV. Plus, with Siri on HomePod, customers can management what’s enjoying on their Apple TV hands-free.
Discover My on HomePod makes it potential for customers to find their Apple gadgets, like an iPhone, by enjoying a sound on the misplaced gadget. Utilizing Siri, customers can even ask for the situation of mates or family members who share their location through the app.
A Good House Important
With Sound Recognition,6 HomePod can hear for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and ship a notification on to the person’s iPhone if a sound is recognized. The brand new built-in temperature and humidity sensor can measure indoor environments, so customers can create automations that shut the blinds or activate the fan routinely when a sure temperature is reached in a room.
By activating Siri, prospects can management a single gadget or create scenes like “Good Morning” that put a number of sensible house equipment to work on the identical time, or arrange recurring automations hands-free like “Hey Siri, open the blinds day by day at dawn.”7 A brand new affirmation tone signifies when a Siri request is made to manage an adjunct that will not visibly present a change, like a heater, or for equipment situated in a distinct room. Ambient sounds — like ocean, forest, and rain — have additionally been remastered and are extra built-in into the expertise, enabling prospects so as to add new sounds to scenes, automations, and alarms.
Customers can even intuitively navigate, view, and set up equipment with the redesigned House app, which gives new classes for local weather, lights, and safety, allows straightforward setup and management of the sensible house, and features a new multicamera view.
Matter Assist
Matter launched final fall, enabling sensible house merchandise to work throughout ecosystems whereas sustaining the very best ranges of safety. Apple is a member of the Connectivity Requirements Alliance, which maintains the Matter commonplace, together with different trade leaders. HomePod connects to and controls Matter-enabled equipment, and serves as an important house hub, giving customers entry when away from house.
Buyer Information Is Non-public Property
Defending buyer privateness is one among Apple’s core values. All sensible house communications are all the time end-to-end encrypted to allow them to’t be learn by Apple, together with digicam recordings with HomeKit Safe Video. When Siri is used, the audio of the request will not be saved by default. These options give customers peace of thoughts that their privateness is protected at house.
HomePod and the Setting
HomePod is designed to attenuate its environmental affect, and consists of 100% recycled gold — a primary for HomePod — within the plating of a number of printed circuit boards and 100% recycled uncommon earth parts within the speaker magnet. HomePod meets Apple’s excessive requirements for vitality effectivity, and is mercury-, BFR-, PVC-, and beryllium-free. Redesigned packaging eliminates the outer plastic wrap, and 96 p.c of the packaging is fiber-based, bringing Apple nearer to its purpose of utterly eradicating plastic from all packaging by 2025.
As we speak, Apple is carbon impartial for world company operations, and by 2030, plans to be 100% carbon impartial throughout your entire manufacturing provide chain and all product life cycles. Which means each Apple gadget offered, from part manufacturing, meeting, transport, buyer use, charging, during recycling and materials restoration, can have net-zero local weather affect.
Pricing and Availability
- HomePod (2nd technology) is out there to order for $299 (US) from apple.com/retailer and within the Apple Retailer app in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, the US, and 11 different international locations and areas beginning at this time, with availability starting Friday, February 3.
- HomePod (2nd technology) is suitable with iPhone SE (2nd technology) and later, or iPhone 8 and later operating iOS 16.3 or later; or iPad Professional, iPad (fifth technology) and later, iPad Air (third technology) and later, or iPad mini (fifth technology) and later operating iPadOS 16.3.
- Prospects within the US get 3 p.c Each day Money again after they purchase immediately from Apple with Apple Card.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized private expertise with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. As we speak, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple’s 5 software program platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — present seamless experiences throughout all Apple gadgets and empower folks with breakthrough providers together with the App Retailer, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s greater than 100,000 staff are devoted to creating the perfect merchandise on earth, and to leaving the world higher than we discovered it.
- Apple Music requires a subscription.
- Multiroom audio requires a number of HomePod audio system or AirPlay-compatible audio system with the most recent AirPlay software program.
- Making a HomePod stereo pair requires two of the identical mannequin HomePod audio system, comparable to two HomePod mini, two HomePod (2nd technology), or two HomePod (1st technology).
- iOS 16.3 is required on iPhone for Handoff.
- House theater with eARC help requires Apple TV 4K (2nd technology) or later, operating the most recent tvOS software program.
- Sound Recognition will probably be obtainable in a software program replace later this spring. Sound Recognition could detect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm sounds and ship customers notifications when acknowledged. Sound Recognition shouldn’t be relied upon in circumstances the place customers could also be harmed or injured, or in high-risk or emergency conditions. Sound Recognition requires the up to date House structure, which will probably be obtainable as a separate replace within the House app. It requires all Apple gadgets that entry the house to be utilizing the most recent software program.
- Good house equipment are offered individually.
Press Contacts
Emily Ewing
Apple
Lance Lin
Apple
(408) 974-5036
Apple Media Helpline
(408) 974-2042
