Apple today announced that the HomePod will be available in Canada, France, and Germany beginning June 18, but ahead of then, the speaker has gained support for languages and dialects spoken in each country.
Today's new 11.4 software update for HomePod enables Siri to speak in French, German, and Canadian English in any region, including the United States. Apple says Canadian French will be added in a subsequent software update coming later this year, but it has not provided a specific timeframe as of yet.
The new software update should be pushed to the HomePod automatically after updating to iOS 11.4 on a paired iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but it can also be installed manually through the speaker's settings in the Home app.
To change a HomePod's default language, open the Home app on a paired iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 11.4, 3D Touch or long press on the HomePod's icon, tap on Details, and tap on Languages. There are now six languages, including the previous options of U.S. English, U.K. English, and Australian English.
Canadian residents who purchased a HomePod in the United States, for example, can now switch from American English to Canadian English.
While the switch from American English to Canadian English doesn't yield any significant differences, it does allow the language of a paired iOS device to be set back to Canadian English as well, as in Canada, a HomePod and paired iOS device must be set to the same language for Siri to deliver Personal Requests.
Despite support for Canadian English, the HomePod still isn't completely localized for Canada, as Siri still doesn't work with music charts, for example, as demonstrated by MacRumors reader Pedro Marques in the video below.
Of course, the HomePod should gain support for additional languages as it launches in more countries in the future.
Top Rated Comments
Canadian English is very close to American English. Canadian English has it's own pronunciation patterns in different parts of Canada, though. I can recognize people from Ontario pretty easily by the way they pronounce "about" (like "a boat"). But, I've met Americans from the areas adjacent to Ontario whose pronunciation is exactly the same as residents of Ontario.
Canadians from the West Coast (in Vancouver and Victoria, BC) speak exactly like Americans who live on the West Coast (in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, etc.). The only real difference between the Canadian and American English is the spelling, which in Canada mostly follows British standards.
[doublepost=1527637259][/doublepost] American spelling was intentionally changed by Noah Webster following the American Revolution. Canadians mostly follow British spelling rules, except for in some words American spelling is acceptable as well.
It's a boat time.
Take off, hoser!
Sorry Apple. You are too late to this party. Sonos all the way in my house and not making any changes since I am so vested in sonos.
Also, a Canadian would certainly say something like, "Hey Siri, I locked my house, eh?" Siri would need to understand that this is actually a question.
Paris French sounds very different than even how educated people around Quebec would speak (I'm an Engineer and got my degrees from Polytechnique, HEC and McGill). I'm french Canadian and I've lived in France for years (and in the US too) and even dated a french guy for 5 years so I think I'm well versed on the differences.
Of course, we can understand Paris French (cause it's the one mostly used in French movies), but that doesn't mean the different is not significant enough to make speech recognition difficult.
Anyone who thinks Canadian English sounds like US English has a very poor ear for dialects.
It doesn't sound the same as upstate NY, NYC, Connecticut, Massachusetts or Michigan or Illinois.
So, where on earth does it sound similar as?
Just listen to say, the CBC or CTV or GLOBAL national news and tell me it sounds the same as CNN, ABC, CBS news... Come on.