As with AirPods, activation of the HomePod speaker will require an iPhone or iPad

The source code of the last
iOS 11 beta available to developers for a few days revealed
some information on the pairing and getting started procedure
the Apple HomePod, this speaker presented last June and arriving in
a few months in stock at Apple. The now famous Guilherme Rambo even
published a videoof the procedure which
resembles that necessary to use Apple AirPods for the first time.
In short, an iPad or an iPhone is essential for the successful start-up of
l’Apple HomePod :

HomePod and iOS device must first be connected to the same network
Wi-Fi. On the iPhone or iPad, you would then have to enter the Siri language
of the HomePod then enter the last 4 digits of the serial number of
the enclosure. Some settings like iCloud configuration, settings
Internet and Siri can then be shared with the speaker.

The configuration ends with customization parameters to enter
depending on the room in which the speaker is positioned. It could be
also that pairing requires dual-factor identification via
iCloud, as can be seen when configuring certain apps on
Mac linked to the iPhone.

Finally, in the case where the user has several HomePod speakers,
it should be possible to make updates and change the settings of
each of them at once.

We remind you, the Apple HomePod should arrive by December for a
American rate of349 dollars.

Also read, more information on theHomePodd’Apple :

• The
  HomePod is heard: interface sounds extracted from its
  OS
• 
  HomePod: the small details of the speaker are revealed with its system
  operating
• 
  The Apple HomePod in more detail
• HomePod :
  first opinions on sound quality
• 
  For HomePod, Apple customers more interested than in Apple
  Watch

Source

Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.