Apple announced earlier this year that they are officially joining the smart speaker race via HomePod. Followers of the Cupertino-based tech giant have been anticipating the arrival of HomePod this Christmas season. However, it appears that the Siri-powered music accessory will be delivered at a later date.
According to the latest update from Apple, the HomePod launch will be delayed until 2018. It was first announced that the HomePod would be available in the market sometime this holiday season, but the public will need to wait until the New Year to obtain Apple's very first smart speaker. For now, the HomePod is slated to beat Amazon Echo and Google Home, although its true potential has yet to be unveiled.
"We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers," an Apple spokesperson said via The Verge. "We'll start shipping in the US, UK and Australia in early 2018." The exact reason of the delay is not pinpointed, but it is clear that Apple is focused on developing the HomePod until the time it is ready.
The Apple HomePod is priced at $349, which is within the upper range of top-tier smart speakers such as Sonos. The HomePod has a cylindrical appearance with a seven-speaker design. The product includes a 4-inch subwoofer, plus a six-microphone array that makes the HomePod superior to the other smart speakers based on specs.
Still, some tech experts doubt if Siri would be the best voice assistant for the HomePod, as it may not yet be in the same level as Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. Nevertheless, Apple promised at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) back in June that the HomePod will be a "music first" and "smart features second."
There is no exact release date given for the Apple HomePod, only the vague early 2018 estimate. The public should wait for Apple's official announcements regarding the arrival of the smart speaker.
