Apple comes with good news as orders for HomePod buyers in Australia and New Zealand is set to receive their orders soon. Customers who preordered the product upon the January 18th announcement has already received them.
The Arrival of the HomePod
Although the time zones that New Zealand and Australia are in grant them earlier access, Australian customers will still be getting them first in the country's Apple Stores. Sadly, New Zealand doesn't have official Apple retail locations, so they will have to wait for the shipments.
The 2nd-gen HomePod is basically the same as the first one regarding the size, function, and sound quality. However, the newest model features a larger touch display, humidity and temperature sensors, and a U1 chip, according to MacRumors.
Soon after New Zealand and Australia, other locations will also have the new HomePod readily available in sales and deliveries. It will first be available in Asia, Europe, and finally, North America. By then, customers can opt for walk-in purchases or order them online.
Apple's Second-Generation HomePod
The product is an essential addition if you plan to turn your home into a smart home. The device has built-in intelligence that speaks for itself, which can help you manage the devices around your house, as well as your daily life routines.
With the HomePod, you can manage your home just by speaking to Siri. You can control your smart home devices automatically by making automations. For instance, you can ask Siri to automatically turn off the lights every day once the clock hits 9 PM.
The remote access feature will also allow you to do tasks without so much as lifting a finger. Given that you have set up smart systems, you can just ask Siri to do things like opening a locked door for a guest, or closing the garage door once you get your vehicle inside.
Since it has a built-in sensor, the HomePod is capable of telling you the humidity and temperature within a room. You can even use this feature to create automations like closing the blinds once the room hits a certain temperature.
You can also use the device to amp up your security system. HomePod's sound recognition can listen for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, according to Apple. Should the device detects it, you will be getting a notification on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
As a speaker, the device is able to sense the room. Meaning that it can understand its location by using the built-in mic and listening to sound reflections. It will tune the sound based on the acquired data to create a better listening experience for its user.
The HomePodis equipped to support Apple TV 4K's Dolby Atmos audio, so you can watch with a more immersive sound. You can even place two HomePods in the same room and the device will ask you if you want them paired, creating a better surround sound quality.
