January 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
Apple introduces the brand new HomePod with breakthrough sound and intelligence
Delivering unbelievable audio high quality, enhanced Siri capabilities, and a secure and safe good dwelling expertise
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple as we speak introduced HomePod (2nd era), a strong good speaker that delivers next-level acoustics in a beautiful, iconic design. Full of 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 good dwelling, customers can now create good dwelling automations utilizing Siri, get notified when a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is detected of their dwelling, and verify 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 as we speak, 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,” mentioned Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice chairman of Worldwide Advertising and marketing. “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 convey the subsequent era 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 lovely design that enhances any house. HomePod is out there in white and midnight, a brand new colour made with one hundred pc recycled mesh cloth, with a color-matched woven energy cable.
Acoustic Powerhouse
HomePod delivers unbelievable 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 outstanding 20mm, built-in bass-EQ mic, and beamforming array of 5 tweeters across the base all work collectively to attain a strong acoustic expertise. The S7 chip is mixed with software program and system-sensing expertise to supply much more superior computational audio that maximizes the complete 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 take heed 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 charming dwelling 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 excellent 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 taking part in on iPhone — like a favourite tune, podcast, or perhaps a cellphone name — on to a HomePod.4 To simply management what’s taking part in or obtain customized tune and podcast suggestions, anybody within the dwelling can convey an iPhone near HomePod and options will floor mechanically. 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 strong dwelling theater expertise, and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)5 help on Apple TV 4K permits prospects to make HomePod the audio system for all gadgets related to the TV. Plus, with Siri on HomePod, customers can management what’s taking part in on their Apple TV hands-free.
Discover My on HomePod makes it attainable for customers to find their Apple gadgets, like an iPhone, by taking part in a sound on the misplaced system. Utilizing Siri, customers can even ask for the situation of pals or family members who share their location by way of the app.
A Sensible Residence Important
With Sound Recognition,6 HomePod can pay attention for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and ship a notification on to the consumer’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 mechanically when a sure temperature is reached in a room.
By activating Siri, prospects can management a single system or create scenes like “Good Morning” that put a number of good dwelling equipment to work on the identical time, or arrange recurring automations hands-free like “Hey Siri, open the blinds daily at dawn.”7 A brand new affirmation tone signifies when a Siri request is made to regulate an adjunct that will not visibly present a change, like a heater, or for equipment situated in a special 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 Residence app, which gives new classes for local weather, lights, and safety, permits straightforward setup and management of the good dwelling, and features a new multicamera view.
Matter Help
Matter launched final fall, enabling good dwelling 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 normal, together with different trade leaders. HomePod connects to and controls Matter-enabled equipment, and serves as an important dwelling hub, giving customers entry when away from dwelling.
Buyer Information Is Personal Property
Defending buyer privateness is considered one of Apple’s core values. All good dwelling 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 isn’t saved by default. These options give customers peace of thoughts that their privateness is protected at dwelling.
HomePod and the Atmosphere
HomePod is designed to reduce its environmental affect, and consists of one hundred pc recycled gold — a primary for HomePod — within the plating of a number of printed circuit boards and one hundred pc 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 % of the packaging is fiber-based, bringing Apple nearer to its objective of fully eradicating plastic from all packaging by 2025.
In the present day, Apple is carbon impartial for international company operations, and by 2030, plans to be one hundred pc carbon impartial throughout your complete manufacturing provide chain and all product life cycles. Which means that each Apple system offered, from part manufacturing, meeting, transport, buyer use, charging, during recycling and materials restoration, could have net-zero local weather affect.
Pricing and Availability
- HomePod (2nd era) 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 as we speak, with availability starting Friday, February 3.
- HomePod (2nd era) is appropriate with iPhone SE (2nd era) and later, or iPhone 8 and later operating iOS 16.3 or later; or iPad Professional, iPad (fifth era) and later, iPad Air (third era) and later, or iPad mini (fifth era) and later operating iPadOS 16.3.
- Clients within the US get 3 % Each day Money again once they purchase instantly from Apple with Apple Card.
- New subscribers can get Apple Music free for six months with the acquisition of any HomePod.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized private expertise with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. In the present day, 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 very best 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, equivalent to two HomePod mini, two HomePod (2nd era), or two HomePod (1st era).
- iOS 16.3 is required on iPhone for Handoff.
- Residence theater with eARC help requires Apple TV 4K (2nd era) or later, operating the most recent tvOS software program.
- Sound Recognition will likely be accessible in a software program replace later this spring. Sound Recognition might 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 Residence structure, which will likely be accessible as a separate replace within the Residence app. It requires all Apple gadgets that entry the house to be utilizing the most recent software program.
- Sensible dwelling equipment are offered individually.
Press Contacts
Emily Ewing
Apple
Lance Lin
Apple
(408) 974-5036
Apple Media Helpline
(408) 974-2042
