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Apple has announced the HomePod, a wireless speaker for the home that uses spatial awareness to sense its location in a room and automatically adjust the audio. Designed to work with an Apple Music subscription for access to over 40 million songs, the HomePod provides knowledge of personal music preferences and tastes and helps users discover new music.

The HomePod features a large, Apple-designed woofer, a custom array of seven beam-forming tweeters that provide high frequency acoustics with directional control, and technologies built in to preserve the richness and intent of the original recordings, according to the vendor. The HomePod will be available starting in December, initially in Australia, the UK and the US.

The HomePod is designed for voice control with an array of six microphones, so users can interact with it from across the room, even while loud music is playing. Siri can handle advanced searches within the music library, so users can ask questions or create a shared Up Next queue with everyone in the home.

As a home assistant, the HomePod can send messages, get updates on news, sports and weather, or control smart home devices by asking Siri to turn on the lights, close the shades or activate a scene. When away from home, the HomePod is a home hub, providing remote access and home automation through the Home app on iPhone or iPad.