At today's "Gather Round" event at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted some new features that are coming to the HomePod through a software update set to be released next Monday.
The HomePod will gain a number of new features with the software update, which is going to come alongside iOS 12, tvOS 12, and watchOS 5.
Search for your favorite songs by lyrics using Siri
Create multiple timers
Make and receive phone calls right from the HomePod
Ping your iPhone or any of your Apple devices to find them in your home
HomePod is also going to work with Siri Shortcuts, a feature coming in iOS 12. According to Cook, Siri Shortcuts will "open up a world of apps" for HomePod.
Many of these new features are additions that HomePod users have been hoping for. The HomePod has been the butt of jokes for not being able to support more than one timer at once, and while it could be used as a speakerphone previously, the new phone call functionality will expand its usefulness as a standalone communication device.
All of Apple's fall software updates are set to be released on Monday, September 17, with the exception of macOS Mojave, which will see a release on September 24.
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years.
iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack)
At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station.
The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM.
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just make a homepod without siri. I just want a nice Apple AirPlay2 speaker
You know you don't have to use it, right? You can simply use it as a speaker system if you like.
Using your voice:
[LIST=1] * Say "Hey Siri, stop listening."" * When Siri asks you to confirm, say ""Yes.".
Using the Home app:
[LIST=1] * Launch the Home app on your iPhone or iPad Home screen. * Tap on the Rooms tab, bottom middle. * Swipe to the Room that contains your HomePod. * Long press (or firmly press) on your HomePod. * Tap Details. * Toggle Listen for "Hey Siri" off.
