January 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
Apple introduces the 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 at this time introduced HomePod (2nd era), a robust good speaker that delivers next-level acoustics in a beautiful, iconic design. Packed with Apple improvements and Siri intelligence, HomePod provides superior computational audio for a groundbreaking listening expertise, together with assist 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 arms -free.
The new HomePod is out there to order on-line and in the Apple Store app beginning at this time, with availability starting Friday, February 3.
“Leveraging our audio experience and improvements, the new HomePod delivers wealthy, deep bass, pure mid-range, and clear, detailed highs,” mentioned Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice chairman of Worldwide Marketing. “With the recognition of HomePod mini, we have seen rising curiosity in much more highly effective acoustics achievable in a bigger HomePod. We’re thrilled to carry the subsequent era of HomePod to clients round the world.”
Refined Design
With a seamless, acoustically clear mesh cloth and a backlit contact floor that illuminates from edge to edge, the new HomePod boasts a wonderful design that enhances any area. HomePod is out there in white and midnight, a new coloration 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 round the base all work collectively to attain a robust acoustic expertise. The S7 chip is mixed with software program and system-sensing know-how to supply much more superior computational audio that maximizes the full potential of its acoustic system for a groundbreaking listening expertise.
With room sensing know-how, HomePod acknowledges sound reflections from close by surfaces to find out whether it is in opposition to a wall or freestanding, and then adapts sound in actual time. Precise 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.
Users 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 charming dwelling theater expertise with Apple TV 4K. With Siri, customers can entry a variety of music data, and search by artist, track, lyrics, decade, style, temper, or exercise.
Elevated Experience with Multiple HomePod Speakers
Two or extra HomePod or HomePod mini audio system unlock a wide range of highly effective options. Using multiroom audio with AirPlay,2 customers can merely say “Hey Siri,” or contact and maintain the high of HomePod to play the similar track 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.
Users may also create a stereo pair with two HomePod audio system in the similar area.3 In addition to 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 Ultra Wideband know-how, customers can hand off no matter they’re enjoying on iPhone — like a favourite track, podcast, or perhaps a cellphone name — on to a HomePod.4 To simply management what’s enjoying or obtain customized track and podcast suggestions, anybody in the dwelling can carry an iPhone near HomePod and ideas will floor robotically. HomePod may also acknowledge as much as six voices, so every member of the dwelling can hear their private playlists, ask for reminders, and set calendar occasions.
HomePod simply pairs with Apple TV 4K for a robust dwelling theater expertise, and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)5 assist on Apple TV 4K allows clients to make HomePod the audio system for all gadgets related to the TV. Plus, with Siri on HomePod, customers can management what’s enjoying on their Apple TV hands-free.
Find My on HomePod makes it doable for customers to find their Apple gadgets, like an iPhone, by enjoying a sound on the misplaced machine. Using Siri, customers may also ask for the location of buddies or family members who share their location through the app.
A Smart Home Essential
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 new built-in temperature and humidity sensor can measure indoor environments, so customers can create automations that shut the blinds or activate the fan robotically when a sure temperature is reached in a room.
By activating Siri, clients can management a single machine or create scenes like “Good Morning” that put a number of good dwelling equipment to work at the similar time, or arrange recurring automations hands-free like “Hey Siri, open the blinds day-after-day at dawn.”7 A new affirmation tone signifies when a Siri request is made to regulate an adjunct that won’t visibly present a change, like a heater, or for equipment situated in a unique room. Ambient sounds — like ocean, forest, and rain — have additionally been remastered and are extra built-in into the expertise, enabling clients so as to add new sounds to scenes, automations, and alarms.
Users may also intuitively navigate, view, and set up equipment with the redesigned Home app, which provides new classes for local weather, lights, and safety, allows simple setup and management of the good dwelling, and features a new multicamera view.
Matter Support
Matter launched final fall, enabling good dwelling merchandise to work throughout ecosystems whereas sustaining the highest ranges of safety. Apple is a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, which maintains the Matter normal, alongside with different trade leaders. HomePod connects to and controls Matter-enabled equipment, and serves as a necessary dwelling hub, giving customers entry when away from dwelling.
Customer Data Is Private Property
Protecting 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 HomeEquipment Secure Video. When Siri is used, the audio of the request shouldn’t be saved by default. These options give customers peace of thoughts that their privateness is protected at dwelling.
HomePod and the Environment
HomePod is designed to reduce its environmental affect, and consists of one hundred pc recycled gold — a primary for HomePod — in the plating of a number of printed circuit boards and one hundred pc recycled uncommon earth components in the speaker magnet. HomePod meets Apple’s excessive requirements for power 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 aim of fully eradicating plastic from all packaging by 2025.
Today, Apple is carbon impartial for world company operations, and by 2030, plans to be one hundred pc carbon impartial throughout the total manufacturing provide chain and all product life cycles. This signifies that each Apple machine bought, from element manufacturing, meeting, transport, buyer use, charging, all the means by recycling and materials restoration, can 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 in the Apple Store app Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spainthe UKthe USand 11 different international locations and areas beginning at this time, 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 Pro, iPad (fifth era) and later, iPad Air (third era) and later, or iPad mini (fifth era) and later operating iPadOS 16.3.
- Customers in the US get 3 p.c Daily Cash again once they purchase instantly from Apple with Apple Card.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized private know-how with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, 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 individuals with breakthrough companies together with the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s greater than 100,000 workers are devoted to creating the greatest 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 newest AirPlay software program.
- Creating a HomePod stereo pair requires two of the similar mannequin HomePod audio system, reminiscent of two HomePod mini, two HomePod (2nd era), or two HomePod (1st era).
- iOS 16.3 is required on iPhone for Handoff.
- Home theater with eARC assist requires Apple TV 4K (2nd era) or later, operating the newest tvOS software program.
- Sound Recognition will likely be out there in a software program replace later this spring. Sound Recognition can 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 Home structure, which will likely be out there as a separate replace in the Home app. It requires all Apple gadgets that entry the dwelling to be utilizing the newest software program.
- Smart dwelling equipment are bought individually.
Press Contacts
Emily Ewing
Apple
e_ewing@apple.com
Lance Lin
Apple
lance_lin@apple.com
(408) 974-5036
Apple Media Helpline
media.assist@apple.com
(408) 974-2042