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Apple brings multiroom speaker support to HomeKit with AirPlay 2

Apple has many of the world's biggest speaker makers on board, too.

Apple's HomeKit has provided iPhone and iPad users with a simple platform to connect multiple smart home devices, but it's shied away from one of the most important gadgets: speakers. Before revealing the rumored Siri speaker, the company announced today that it's expanding its smart home hub to support a large number of third-party audio hardware.

Many of the brands you'd expect to be on board are, including Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Denon, Bowers & Wilkins, Libratone and, of course, Beats. However, Sonos isn't on the list, at least not at the moment. If you happen to own a connected speaker made by one of Apple's listed partners, expect them to introduce new speakers that integrate with the HomeKit app, allowing you to control your multi-room setup and enjoy collaborative Apple Music playlists that you've curated with friends.

The functionality comes as a result of AirPlay 2, an updated version of Apple's wireless AV technology. The company hasn't clarified if older AirPlay-enabled speakers can be updated to support the new platform -- we've contacted Apple for more information and will update you if we hear back.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!