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Apple Upgrades HomePod Speaker With Stereo, Multi-Room Audio

Apple Inc. is updating the software for its HomePod speaker with key audio features like stereo sound.

Apple Upgrades HomePod Speaker With Stereo, Multi-Room Audio
Apple Inc.’s HomePod speakers displayed during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California, U.S. (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. is updating the software for its HomePod speaker with key audio features and said the device will go on sale in Canada, France, and Germany on June 18.

The Cupertino, California-based technology giant said on Monday that the software update will support both multi-room audio and stereo audio playback, two features originally announced about a year ago. Multi-room audio lets HomePods synchronize music playback in different rooms, while the other feature allows users to pair two HomePods next to each other to create stereo sound.

The HomePod will also let users hear upcoming calendar appointments. All three features were notable omissions when the HomePod was released earlier this year. Since launching in February, the device has seen slow sales, but the new audio capabilities and additional countries may spur new demand for the device. To date, the product has only been available in the U.S., U.K., and Australia.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Gurman in San Francisco at mgurman1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Alistair Barr, Molly Schuetz

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