Apple says new HomePod features, including setting multiple timers, making and receiving calls, and searching for Apple devices, are coming September 17
Apple on Wednesday announced a few updates to its $349 HomePod smart speaker, all expected to hit on Sept. 17. They include:
Context & Ripple Effects
The HomePod's first year has been defined by catching up to its own launch promise: the speaker missed its December 2017 ship window and only opened for orders in late January at $349, per Apple's delayed January availability announcement. In May, Apple shipped its first major post-launch fix, adding stereo pairing and AirPlay 2 multi-room streaming four months after release.
This September 17 update continues that pattern — instead of new hardware, Apple is patching in table-stakes smart-speaker behavior (multiple timers, calls, device search) that buyers would have expected on day one. It matters because it shows Apple treating the $349 HomePod as a software-refreshed product heading into the holiday season.
First-order effects
- Existing HomePod owners get multiple timers, phone calls, and Find My-style device search on September 17 at no cost, closing the most-cited functional gaps against rival assistants.
- Apple extends the value of hardware it launched at $349 without a price cut or new SKU, using the same free-software-update lever it pulled with the May stereo-pairing release.
Second-order effects
- With core features patched in before the holidays, Apple can market the HomePod on sound quality plus a now-complete feature set rather than discounting, protecting the premium price point established since the January launch.
Third-order effects
- If the cadence holds — launch light, then quarterly software drops — the HomePod line's roadmap runs through iOS updates rather than annual hardware cycles, and the January 2019 China/Hong Kong expansion suggests Apple scaling a maturing product geographically once the feature base stabilizes.
The trend: Premium smart speakers are shifting from hardware-spec competition to software-update cadence, with Apple patching the HomePod toward parity after a delayed start.