Apple's technology that will enable a pair of HomePods to automatically detect and balance each other to create stereo-like sound is coming soon, according to Matthew Panzarino, while the HomePod's multi-room audio support via AirPlay 2 will be available at some point later this year.
Both features are currently listed as "coming later this year" on Apple's website, so it was assumed they would be released in tandem.
Emphasis should be placed on stereo-like, as HomePod reviews published today confirm that users won't be able to set one speaker as the right channel and another as the left channel. Instead, as Apple notes, HomePods will use advanced beamforming capabilities to create a more immersive soundstage.
HomePod launches this Friday in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, and availability of the speaker is beginning to tighten ahead of time.
Update: An earlier version of this article referred to the more-than-one-HomePod-in-a-room balancing feature as "FullRoom," as mentioned in a few reports, but Apple says that is not the official name of the feature.
Friday September 4, 2026 2:29 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple appears to be working on some major new HomePod home theater features, including a four-speaker surround sound system and a new "Party Mode," according to code found in audioOS 27 beta 8, and shared on the MacRumors forums by member pdfu.
References in the software for the second-generation HomePod suggest the ability to tune for a setup with front-left, front-right, rear-left, and...
Friday September 4, 2026 8:25 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has been testing a new full-sized HomePod with Siri AI support, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Unfortunately, in his report outlining upcoming Apple products today, Gurman said the new full-sized HomePod "doesn't appear to be imminent," so do not expect the speaker to be updated soon. The current HomePod was unveiled in January 2023....
Monday September 14, 2026 10:00 am PDT by Juli Clover
Alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple today released new software for the HomePod and HomePod mini.
HomePod Software 27 adds AirPlay improvements and support for AutoMix when listening to Apple Music.
This update introduces support for AutoMix with Apple Music, which transitions between songs like a DJ does, time stretching and beatmatching to deliver a continuous...
This thing was announced nearly nine months ago (and in development for who knows how long before the announcement) and they still decided to release it before it was fully baked.
Almost sounds like the baby my sister just popped out.
'At a later date'. Nice and vague there, Apple. I hope these things sit on store shelves for a while after the initial launch wave subsides. There certainly won't be any in my home, nor will I recommend it to anyone. This thing was announced nearly nine months ago (and in development for who knows how long before the announcement) and they still decided to release it before it was fully baked.
