Apple’s HomePod is getting some much-needed features with its upcoming update. A new leak by French site iGen suggests that iOS 12 brings new features to the HomePod that will make Siri a much better personal assistant.

With the future update, HomePod will reportedly be able to make phone calls. Right now, Siri on the HomePod can’t access the contacts on your iCloud account or iPhone, and it’s not possible to make calls from the speaker either. That’s going to change soon, with users being able to make calls and answer incoming calls with the speaker.

Another much-needed feature coming to HomePod is support for multiple timers. The feature may sound very basic, but it’s actually really useful for when you are multi-tasking. You could, for example, set a 5-minute timer for meditation while a 10-minute timer runs for the food you are warming up. Other smart speakers already support this feature, so it’s no surprise Apple bringing such a basic feature to the HomePod.

The company is reportedly making it possible to find your iPhone using the HomePod, too — though it’s unclear how the feature will work. Either way, Apple’s continued iteration of the HomePod is a promising sign, mainly because of the initial lackluster launch when the speaker lacked features like multi-room audio. Cupertino is expected to introduce a new HomePod early next year, and new software updates like iOS 12 are possibly gearing up towards the launch of the firm’s next smart speaker.

Tagged with Apple Audio, Homepod