Apple has finally launched its smart wireless speaker called the HomePod in India. The Cupertino tech giant has quietly made the product page of the Apple HomePod speaker in the country live on its website. The Siri-powered smart home speaker has been priced at Rs 19,900. The company hasn’t yet announced when the device will go on sale in the country. Notably, Apple has launched the HomePod in India two years after it went on sale in the US, UK and Australia in January 2018. The HomePod will be competing against the likes of the Alexa-powered Echo speakers and the Google Assistant-backed Google Home in the country.
Apple HomePod is priced at Rs 19,900 in India
Apple HomePod specifications and features
The Apple HomePod is a 7-inch tall, round-shaped smart speaker that flaunts an array of six microphones. The device is activated by the “hey Siri” hotword. You can use the smart assistant to send messages, get information on the weather, stocks and more, relay the latest news and sports updates, get details on traffic and what’s nearby, etc. You can also use voice commands to play songs from Apple Music and other compatible streaming services. The device is capable of keeping track of your personal music preferences to help you deliver your favourite songs and artists, apart from helping you discover new ones.
Notably, the device also lets you control HomeKit-enabled smart home devices like lights, ACs, microwaves, and more. The HomePod is capable of adapting its location to provide high-fidelity audio. The device has a custom-designed array of seven beamforming tweeters. Notably, each of the tweeters has its own amplifier. Thanks to the spatial awareness, the HomePod speaker can automatically analyse the acoustics and adjust the sound based on its location and provide 360-degree audio output.
The HomePod is a Siri-powered smart speaker
The Apple HomePod is also equipped with an Apple-designed high-excursion woofer, which is positioned at the top facing upwards. This allows the device to produce a wide range of deep bass. The whole package is powered by the Apple A8 processor. As for the other features, the device has a touch surface on top that lets you control music playback and volume, and trigger the Siri assistant. The connectivity features include Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, and AirPlay 2 for multi-room speaker support. Lastly, the speaker is compatible with most iPhones, iPods and iPads.
The Apple HomePod is wrapped in a mesh fabric. The device will be available in two colour variants – White and Space Grey. Apple is expected to start selling the smart speaker in the country in the coming days.