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Apple HomePod: Two of new smart speaker's main features won't be working when it arrives

A prototype of Apple's new HomePod is displayed during the 2017 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Center on June 5, 2017 in San Jose, California / Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Owners will have to wait for a software update later this year

Apple's brand new smart speaker is about to hit shelves. But without two of its main features.

The HomePod will be available for pre-order this week, ahead of a full release at the beginning of February. That release date has already been delayed, after Apple initially announced in June that the new speaker would be available before the end of last year.

Despite that delay – which Apple said was to improve the speakers – two of the major features of the new HomePod will be missing. Apple's updated technology for wireless streaming, known as AirPlay 2, doesn't appear to be ready, meaning that those features will be lacking.

Gadgets and tech news in pictures

Gadgets and tech news in pictures

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As such, there'll be no way of using multi-room audio on the HomePod. It will be possible to stream to two HomePods in one house, but that will require two devices and the audio won't be in sync.

  • Read more

New Apple speaker will come out in February, after major delay

Likewise, there'll be no way of using two HomePods in the same room. Apple initially said that it would be possible to use two of the HomePods around the room to get wide stereo sound, but that too won't be available at all when the speakers launch next month.

Both of those features were key parts of the presentation by Apple at WWDC in June. They're also offered in Apple's competitors, like the smart speakers made by Sonos.

Apple said both of the features will come with the introduction of AirPlay 2 in a software update later this year. The feature will presumably need turning on not only with new updates for the HomePod but also for the iPhone, iPad or Macs that are used to tell them what to play.

Apple trailed them again in the press release accompanying the announcement of the speaker's release date.

"Coming this year in a free software update, users will be able to play music throughout the house with multi-room audio," the press release read. "If HomePod is in the kitchen, users can ask Siri to play jazz in the dining room, or play the same song in each room — perfectly in sync. If there's more than one HomePod set up in the same room, the speakers can be set up as a stereo pair for an even more immersive sound experience."

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