Apple has released iOS 11.2.5, an update that brings support for the company’s new HomePod speakers along with Siri’s audio news feature and support for remote control of Apple Music playback. The new iOS update will be required to configure the HomePod when it’s released on Feb.
9, allowing users to automatically transfer their Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri, and Wi-Fi settings to the new speaker, likely similar in the way that an Apple TV can be automatically configured from an iPhone or other iOS device. The update also adds the ability to remotely control Apple Music playback on Apple TV and (presumably) HomePod speakers; selecting an audio destination from the Music app or Control Center widget will now display additional compatible playback destinations as separate panels, which can be used to start and control playback on that device directly from Apple Music, independently of whatever is playing on the iPhone itself.
The update also adds official support for Siri’s “Give Me The News” feature that began rolling out last week, allowing users in the U.S., U.K., and Australia to request news by voice, with the default content coming from NPR in the US, the BBC in the UK and ABC in Australia, along with topical news in categories like sports, business, and music, from sources such as ESPN, NBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, and Apple Music Beats 1.
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