Apple's HomePod smart speaker is now available for order in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia from the company's online store, ahead of its official launch on February 9, 2018.
After some delay caused by manufacturing issues, Apple announced earlier this week that it will finally unveil its first smart speaker, the HomePod, in early February next month, with the device available for order this Friday, January 26, 2018.
The wait is over and users in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom can pre-order the HomePod from Apple's online store which will cost $349, $499 AUD, and £319 GBP respectively.
The HomePod is Apple's answer to the smart speaker market currently dominated by Google's Home and Amazon's Alexa, with promising sound quality, Apple Music support, and support for the personal assistant, Siri.
Apple says the HomePod incorporates years of hardware and software innovation. The devices are powered by Apple's A8 chip, feature a large woofer for deep, clear bass, and are also designed by Apple. They're also very easy to set up.
HomePod is also compatible with SiriKit, the Apple Toolkit that allows iOS and watchOS apps to work with Siri, allowing it to communicate with third-party messaging apps, like WhatsApp, through natural voice interaction.
All hardware and software components built into the HomePod are secure and focused on privacy, said Apple, which promised to bring audio-based multimedia support to its smart speaker with a software update due later this year.
