Apple’s HomePod Firmware Reveals More Details on Smart Speaker: Developer

iOS developer Steve Troughton Smith is back at it again, this time diving deep into Apple’s HomePod smart speaker firmware, called “AudioAccessory1,1”.

Here’s what he discovered:

• HomePod runs a full iOS stack but without a screen
• HomePod apps are prefixed with “Air”
• HomePod runs on shell app named SoundBoard
• HomePod will have Accessibility features, such as VoiceOver
• HomePod shows up as an iPhone SE in the iTunes Store, oddly enough
• No provisions for third party apps or extensions in the HomePod OS shell
• Top LED area of HomePod appears to be an 32×32 LED matrix, suggesting further functionality could come

The center part of the HomePod surface appears to be an LED matrix and not just big LEDs—could perhaps display shapes/symbols

So the #HomePod probably has a screen like this. If it's the right density could easily show basic things like temperature & weather icons

Apple’s $349 USD HomePod smart speaker is set to launch in the U.S. this December; sadly Canada is not part of the intial launch and will not see the speaker until 2018.