Apple’s rumored four-HomePod surround sound system is showing up in more places across its software, adding to evidence that the company is preparing a much bigger home theater push.
New references in audioOS 27.2 beta 3 describe a multi-speaker configuration with HomePods assigned to front-left, front-right, rear-left, and rear-right positions. Siri also appears able to identify where each speaker belongs in the room.
Similar imagery has now appeared elsewhere in Apple’s software, including new symbols depicting four speakers arranged around a room as a home theater system.
HomePod could become a full surround system
Apple TV 4K currently supports two HomePods or HomePod minis as a stereo pair, including support for Dolby Atmos audio.
Expanding that setup to four speakers would give Apple a much more ambitious living-room audio system.
Two HomePods could handle the front of the room while another pair provides dedicated rear audio, creating physical separation that a two-speaker setup has to reproduce virtually.
Automatic speaker positioning could also make setup considerably simpler than a traditional surround system.
Instead of manually assigning channels, Siri could determine which HomePod is sitting in each position and configure the room accordingly.
Exactly which hardware will support the feature remains unclear. Apple has reportedly tested a setup using four second-generation HomePods as well as another configuration combining two full-size HomePods in front with two unreleased speakers in the rear.
Four HomePods would be an expensive setup
Using today’s full-size HomePod pricing, four speakers would cost about $1,400 before adding an Apple TV 4K.
That puts the configuration into serious home-theater territory and makes compatibility with existing HomePods particularly important.
Someone who already owns a stereo pair could potentially expand the system by adding two more speakers rather than replacing everything.
The timing is also worth watching. Apple is expected to introduce a fourth-generation Apple TV 4K and second-generation HomePod mini on October 13, while an updated full-size HomePod is reportedly coming later.
With four-speaker references now appearing across Apple’s software, surround sound could become a much larger part of how those products fit together in the living room.
