Apple HomePod Hits Stores in February, Available to Pre-Order on Friday

Cupertino missed its original December 2017 launch window because it needed more time to get HomePod right.

Apple will start taking orders for the HomePod from 26 January in the US, UK and Australia, and the first models will reach stores on 09 February.

When it was first unveiled last winter, the HomePod’s main marketing advantage was its allegedly superior audio quality.

Following on from the announcement that Amazon will finally be bringing their Alexa voice assistant to Australians, Apple has now detailed plans to launch its own smart speaker locally.

Both Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home speakers have been expanding their reach into people’s homes since Apple announced the HomePod last June.

“HomePod delivers stunning audio quality wherever it’s placed – in any room in the house, playing any style of music”. Until then, what you’re getting with HomePod is exactly what Apple announced onstage: a powerful home speaker with Apple Music integration, which also happens to be a HomeKit hub that includes Siri, but in limited capacity.

Apple HomePod to be available in-store on February 9.

Apple is getting ready to release its premium smart speaker next month.

Users can interact with the speaker by saying “Hey Siri”, then giving a command.

Apple Inc.’s long-awaited wireless speaker, the HomePod, will be available for online orders this Friday – but not in Canada.

France and Germany will get the device sometime in the spring. Users with a subscription will be able to access Apple Music, and check news, sports weather and more through the device. It’s gonna blow them away.

The bigger danger for Apple, analysts said, is that consumers bought a rival speaker over the holiday season and have no immediate need for Apple’s new product. Apple is, however, letting third-party apps and services connect to Siri on the HomePod through the SiriKit, and apps like WhatsApp, Things (to-do list), Evernote will work with Siri on the HomePod. That being said, it does seem like stereo playback between two HomePods in the same room might be possible at launch.