The Apple HomePod is a smart speaker that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple from 2018 to 2021 as part of the HomePod series. The first smart speaker from Apple has been introduced on January 23, 2018, released on February 9, 2018, and its price started at $349.
A new HomePod features an Apple A8 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of flash memory, Touch Screen, Siri, AirPlay 2 support, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, six microphones, and eight speakers and is sold in two colors: White and Space Gray.
The HomePod has a rounded, cylindrical shape, and has a small touchscreen on its top. It has seven tweeters in its base and a four-inch woofer (Apple does not specify Hz frequency range) towards the top, as well as six microphones used for voice control and acoustic optimization. The system-on-a-chip is the Apple A8, which Apple previously included in the Apple TV HD, iPod touch 6th generation, iPad mini 4, and iPhone 6 or 6 Plus.
Siri can be used to control the speaker and other HomeKit devices and can be used to conduct text messaging and voice calls from an iPhone. The HomePod mainly supports Apple’s own platforms and technologies, including Apple Music, iTunes Store purchases and Match, iTunes podcasts, Beats 1 radio, and AirPlay (with limited third-party support for internet radio services iHeartRadio, Radio.com, and TuneIn coming in the fall of 2019), while an iOS 11 device is required for initial setup.
HomePod can serve as a soundbar within a home entertainment system when selected through an Apple TV. The HomePod does not officially support audio-in from Bluetooth sources.
AirPlay 2 and multi-room, multi-speaker support were announced in February 2018 and released in September 2018 in iOS 12 along with additional features such as multiple named timers, Find My iPhone, Siri shortcuts, the ability to make, receive, and screen phone calls directly on the HomePod, and the ability to search for songs using the lyrics.
HomePod initially lacked support for allowing multiple users to use the device, but multi-user support was eventually added with the release of iOS 13.2. The iOS 13.4 software update, released in March 2020, updated the OS from an iOS codebase to a tvOS-based system.
This HomePod has been discontinued on March 12, 2021.
Today HomePod is 6 years old!
HomePod Release Date and Original Price
| Announced | June 5, 2017 |
| Introduced | January 23, 2018 |
| Released | February 9, 2018 *1 June 18, 2018 *2 October 26, 2018 *3 January 18, 2019 *4 August 23, 2019 *5 May 10, 2020 *6 |
| Discontinued | March 12, 2021 |
| Model Identifier | AudioAccessory1,1 AudioAccessory1,2 |
| Model Number | A1632 |
| EMC | Unknown |
| Order Number | MQHW2LL/A (Space Gray) MQHV2LL/A (White) |
| Original Price | $349 |
| Colors | Space Gray White |
| Weight | 5.5 Ibs. 2.494 KG |
| Dimensions | 6.8” H x 5.6” W 17.27 cm H x 14.22 cm W |
*2 Canada, France, Germany.
*3 Mexico, Spain.
*4 China, Hong Kong.
*5 Japan, Taiwan.
*6 India.
Tech Specs
| Processor | Apple A8 |
| Memory | 1 GB |
| Storage | 16 GB (non-user accessible) |
Input
| Input Method | Touch Screen Siri |
Connections
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac with MIMO |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| AirPlay | Yes – AirPlay 2 |
| Audio In | 6 – Microphones for Siri 1 – Microphone for automatic bass correction |
| Audio Out | 7 – Horn-loaded tweeters with custom amplifiers 1 – High-excursion woofer with a custom amplifier |
Software
| Intelligent Assistant | Siri |
| System Requirements | iPhone 5s or later iPad Pro 12.9-inch or later iPad 5th Generation or later iPad Air or later iPad mini 2 or later iPod touch 6th Generation with iOS 11.2.5 or later |
Power
| Power Source | Power Supply |
| Line Voltage | 100 V to 240 V AC |
References:
Apple Support – HomePod: Technical Specifications
Report an incorrect record in this product