HomePod Can Now Read the News in Canada, France, and Germany, Where the Speaker Launches Monday

Ahead of the HomePod launching in Canada, France, and Germany in three days from now, the speaker has gained the ability to read the news in those countries.

homepod canada france germany
Siri can now provide news briefs from a handful of sources in Canada, for example, including CBC, Global TV, CTV, and CNN. To start, say "Hey Siri" and then say something like "read me the news" or "what's the news today?"

MacRumors reader Pedro Marques, who lives in Toronto, Canada, shared a demonstration of the feature with us today:


Meanwhile, in Germany, the same functionality works with sources such as public broadcasting radio station Deutschlandfunk, according to MacRumors reader Marco.

Apple previously announced that HomePod sales will begin in Canada, Germany, and France on Monday, June 18. The speaker will be available to order in white and space gray through Apple's online store, retail stores, and the Apple Store app on iPhone and iPad, and at select authorized resellers, including Best Buy.

The speaker will be priced at $449 in Canada, and €349 in Germany and France, according to Apple's online store.

HomePod first launched in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia in February. Canadians, of course, could simply drive south of the border, purchase a HomePod in the United States, and bring it back to Canada, where it worked fine, beyond a few features like news that are now being added.

Late last month, Apple pushed a software update to the HomePod that enables Siri to speak in French, German, and Canadian English. Apple notes that Canadian French will be added later this year in a subsequent software update.

In related news, Apple's TV app recently gained live news in Canada. CBC News is available for free, or $4.99 per month without ads, while CTV News Go is offered through authentication with a cable provider like Bell or Rogers. Other options include CNN, BNN Bloomberg, and online news network Cheddar.

Related Roundup: HomePod
Buyer's Guide: HomePod (Buy Now)

Top Rated Comments

marco79cgn Avatar
69 months ago
In Germany it works as well now. You can choose between different sources:

* Deutschlandfunk
* Tagesschau in 100 Sekunden
* ZDF heute Express
* Weltnewscheck

Say something like "Hey Siri, was gibt es neues?" or "Hey Siri, spiele Tagesschau in 100 Sekunden".
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThunderSkunk Avatar
69 months ago
Thats amazing they were able to teach it to speak Canadian so well.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
profets Avatar
69 months ago
Interesting. But still no News app for Canada yet?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Madmic23 Avatar
69 months ago
Thats amazing they were able to teach it to speak Canadian so well.
They haven't. I asked Siri for directions to a business in Colborne, a small Ontario town 20 minutes away from me. She gave me directions to Alabama. Because "Colborne" and "Alabama" sound so much a like. o_O
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alphaswift Avatar
69 months ago
Late last month, Apple pushed a software update to the HomePod that enables Siri to speak in Canadian English ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/05/29/homepod-french-german-canadian-english/').
As a Canadian, I lol'ed at this. What the hell is Canadian English?

Me: Hey Siri, what's the news?
Siri: "Let me tell you aboot a moose seen drinkin a Molson while playing hockey, eh!"
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
69 months ago
Still on the fence about purchasing, might hold off until I own a home and can setup more automation. Can only do so much in a rental.
I rent and my condo is fully decked out with smarthome gear. All the lights are Hue (18 of them). I replaced the inside of my lock with an August — my landord’s key still works and the outside lock is still the same. I replaced my thermostat with a HomeKit compatible (I kept the old one to put back when I leave). I plugged in Eve power in my sockets that controls non smart things. I have Withings health devices that my home reacts to (i.e. Step on the scale in the morning and my home wakes up). My HomePod controls it all and everything can be taken with me when I leave some day.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17

Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone

Friday September 22, 2023 6:36 am PDT by
If you are unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max today, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues. iOS 17.0.2 is only available for the iPhone 15 lineup. Apple says the update fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...