 This is HomePod, Apple's new smart speaker that's meant to take on Sonos and Amazon by combining great sound and a smart home assistant in the form of Siri for the ultimate home device. One of Apple's big focuses with HomePod is how it uses technology to make sure music sounds great, no matter what the space. It uses a microphone array to figure out information about the room you're listening to music in and automatically tunes itself to offer the best results. And while it'll be a while before we can get our hands on one to try it ourselves, early impressions are that the HomePod offers some really good sound. Apple's also making Siri smarter with HomePod, especially when it comes to music, so you'll be able to ask more detailed questions like, who's the drummer in this song? Or what was the top song on May 5, 2016? Which is pretty cool. Unlike the Amazon Echo or Google Home, HomePod puts music ahead of being a digital assistant. But it can still do the usual batch of stuff you'd want from a voice-controlled assistant, including weather, reminders, timers, news, sports scores, and more. You can even send iMessages. But you're limited to whatever Apple has on offer through Siri, instead of being able to install your own skills, like on Amazon Echo or Google Home. HomePod also works as a central hub for smart home accessories with Apple's HomeKit. If you've got smart lights or outlets that are compatible with Apple's standard, you'll be able to control them by voice through HomePod. And since HomePod is always connected to Wi-Fi, you can use it as a bridge to control smart home stuff from your iPhone, even if you're away from home. HomePod will cost $350 when it launches in December, which is a good bit more than just picking up an Echo or Google Home. But if Apple can really deliver on this sound, it might just be worth the price.