Apple HomePod finally arrives in India, costs Rs. 20,000
Apple's HomePod, which debuted in countries like the US, UK, and Australia in February 2018, has finally arrived in India. The tech giant has officially listed the smart speaker on its India website with a price tag of Rs. 19,900 (around $279), which is actually cheaper than the US price ($299). However, the availability details are yet to be announced. Here's our roundup.
Apple HomePod: Design
The Apple HomePod barely manages a compact size, measuring 6.8 inches in height and 5.6 inches in width. And, at 2.5kg, it surely isn't lightweight. The cylindrical body comes wrapped in a mesh fabric with a touch surface on top that lets you control volume, summon Siri, and manage tracks. As for color options, you can pick the HomePod in White or Space Grey.
Apple HomePod doesn't come with a built-in battery
If you are thinking of getting the HomePod for outings and travel, know that it is not a portable Bluetooth speaker. In order to work, it requires 100-240 Volt AC power supply and there is no built-in battery. Big bummer!
Under the hood
The HomePod packs a high-excursion woofer with a custom amplifier and an array of seven beam-forming tweeters to offer 360-degree audio. It comes with a six-microphone array for far-field listening that helps you activate Siri in a normal voice, even when the music is playing. Under the hood, it houses an A8 chip that handles advanced signal processing, real-time audio processing, and bass correction.
The speaker supports Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band Wi-Fi
The Apple HomePod supports 802.11a/c Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, and multi-room speaker support with AirPlay 2. As for compatibility, it works with iPhone 6S or later, iPod touch (7th-generation), iPad (5th-generation or later), iPad Air 2 or later, and iPad mini 4 or later.
