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.
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.
