When Apple first announced the HomePod, it was revealed that the speaker actually came with several components that are also used in the iPhone, so it wasn’t a surprise to learn that the HomePods would actually be running a version of iOS that helps to power the speakers and gives it its capabilities.
However according to a report from 9to5Mac, it has been discovered that the HomePods that are making their way to customers are actually a “beta” version of iOS. To be more specific, the HomePods are shipped with iOS 11.2.5 build 15D59. As to what this means for users, it probably doesn’t mean much as Apple must be pretty confident about the stability if they are releasing it to the public.
However it also means that the HomePods should be expecting an update soon that will bring about the final build for the version of iOS. Exactly when that will come remains to be seen, but for those with HomePods, updates to the speakers will be done OTA through the Home app on your iPhone.
The HomePods were released over the weekend and so far it seems that reviews have been largely positive with regards to sound quality. Some of the negative aspects have to do with its “smarts”, in which many are finding that it falls short of the competition such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home/Google Assistant.