A release of the second-generation HomePod and the HomePod mini could be coming to Israel soon. The iOS 16.6 Release Candidate released to developers this week adds Hebrew support for Siri on the HomePod, says
Apple does not currently have an online store or retail stores located in Israel, so the HomePods would be sold via authorized resellers in the country.
The Verifier reports that Apple has unliable select users in Israel to test the new Hebrew language support on its HomePods, something the visitor is known for in the past doing surpassing it sooner launched the smart speakers in that country. At this point in time, we do not know when the speakers might wilt misogynist in Israel, but it is likely to happen in the next several months.
Apple brought the HomePod and HomePod mini to Chile, Singapore, and Denmark older this year, and in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and South Africa late last year.
The report suggests that Apple's very latest iOS 16.6 beta includes support for the Hebrew language in Siri and the HomePod.
Apple refreshed the HomePod with the second generation earlier this year while the current HomePod mini is still the only model that has ever been released. The model arrived in 2020 and has gone largely unchanged ever since, although new colors have been added to the mix since.
Apple's HomePods are among some of the best smart home speakers around, although they aren't without their problems. The main issue is of course Siri and its lack of smarts when compared to some of the competition from Google and Amazon. Apple is reportedly working on new AI tools and we can hope that Apple will improve Siri's capabilities as a result.
Looking to pick up a new Apple smart speaker? Be sure to check out our collection of the best HomePod deals before you place your order. Looking for a simple Bluetooth speaker instead? There are plenty of very popular Bluetooth speakers to be had, too.
As noted by The Verifier, the first beta of iOS 16.4 for the HomePod silently enables the Hebrew language for Siri on Apple’s smart speaker – at least for Apple employees. Currently, Hebrew language support is only available for Apple’s virtual assistant on the iPhone and iPad, but not on the HomePod.
Based on previous software updates, Apple typically enables support for a new language in the HomePod when the company is about to launch its smart speaker in a new country. In July 2022, HomePod Software 15.6 added Norwegian and Swedish language support for Siri. In December, the HomePod mini was launched in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
No HomePod model has ever been launched in Israel, so the update strongly suggests that Apple is working on bringing its smart speaker to the country for the first time. It’s worth noting that there are no Apple Retail Stores, or even the Apple Online Store, in Israel, so presumably, the HomePod and HomePod mini will be sold through authorized resellers there.