Video: With Apple's HomePod delayed until 2018, will customers wait?
Apple recently announced that its highly anticipated premium HomePod speaker won't launch in December as was originally planned. AppleInsider brings you up to speed with everything you need to know about the HomePod's delay until 2018.
If you were hoping to have a HomePod under your Christmas tree this season, you're going to be disappointed.
Originally scheduled to ship in December, Apple has delayed the highly anticipated HomePod until early 2018.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple said that they can't wait for people to experience the HomePod, but they need a little more time before it's ready for customers. The premium speaker will ship first to the U.S., U.K. and Australia. Apple didn't immediately offer an explanation for the delay.
When it ships, the HomePod will be Apple's first step into the world of intelligent home speakers like the current Amazon Echo and Google Home. These devices can already be used to search the web and control devices in homes like turning the lights on, all with voice-control.
Apple is known for building their devices to support the Apple ecosystem, meaning cross-platform support between a range of devices to make them feel like a part of a web of technology that works even better together.
Apple's HomeKit already has 15 categories of compatible devices that can be controlled with your iPhone or iPad, including lights, door locks, thermostats, fans. With AirPlay 2, they've added Speakers -- like the HomePod -- to the list as well.
Imagine a future where you can control literally every piece of technology in your home just by talking to the HomePod or using your IOS device.
You can even have multiple HomePods set up in different rooms and they'll work together.
While Apple has positioned the device as a premium, high-quality speaker, the accessory is also Apple's answer to intelligent home speakers like Amazon's Echo and Google Home.
With Siri support built in, the speaker is capable of answering basic user queries, controlling HomeKit-connected appliances and playing back media content. HomePod puts a premium on performance and design, with a 3D mesh acoustic fabric enshrouding a 7-tweeter pack, 6-microphone beamforming array and central up-firing subwoofer.
The HomePod will also feature AirPlay 2 technology, which allows one iOS device to simultaneously stream music to multiple speakers at once. Third-party accessory makers will also have the ability to integrate AirPlay 2, but it's not clear whether the HomePod delay will also affect alternative AirPlay 2 certified speakers.
With the iPhone X now available and the HomePod delayed, the only remaining product expected from Apple in 2017 is the all-new iMac Pro. Apple has said that the professional-grade all-in-one desktop will launch in December starting at $4,999.
If you were hoping to have a HomePod under your Christmas tree this season, you're going to be disappointed.
Originally scheduled to ship in December, Apple has delayed the highly anticipated HomePod until early 2018.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple said that they can't wait for people to experience the HomePod, but they need a little more time before it's ready for customers. The premium speaker will ship first to the U.S., U.K. and Australia. Apple didn't immediately offer an explanation for the delay.
When it ships, the HomePod will be Apple's first step into the world of intelligent home speakers like the current Amazon Echo and Google Home. These devices can already be used to search the web and control devices in homes like turning the lights on, all with voice-control.
Apple is known for building their devices to support the Apple ecosystem, meaning cross-platform support between a range of devices to make them feel like a part of a web of technology that works even better together.
Apple's HomeKit already has 15 categories of compatible devices that can be controlled with your iPhone or iPad, including lights, door locks, thermostats, fans. With AirPlay 2, they've added Speakers -- like the HomePod -- to the list as well.
Imagine a future where you can control literally every piece of technology in your home just by talking to the HomePod or using your IOS device.
You can even have multiple HomePods set up in different rooms and they'll work together.
While Apple has positioned the device as a premium, high-quality speaker, the accessory is also Apple's answer to intelligent home speakers like Amazon's Echo and Google Home.
With Siri support built in, the speaker is capable of answering basic user queries, controlling HomeKit-connected appliances and playing back media content. HomePod puts a premium on performance and design, with a 3D mesh acoustic fabric enshrouding a 7-tweeter pack, 6-microphone beamforming array and central up-firing subwoofer.
The HomePod will also feature AirPlay 2 technology, which allows one iOS device to simultaneously stream music to multiple speakers at once. Third-party accessory makers will also have the ability to integrate AirPlay 2, but it's not clear whether the HomePod delay will also affect alternative AirPlay 2 certified speakers.
With the iPhone X now available and the HomePod delayed, the only remaining product expected from Apple in 2017 is the all-new iMac Pro. Apple has said that the professional-grade all-in-one desktop will launch in December starting at $4,999.
Comments
I wonder what percentage of homes in the US have some sort of "intelligent speaker" today? Well under 10% I expect. That will blip up after December 25st, but it will still be a relatively untapped market. Sure it would be great if Apple had some amazing product available for Black Friday, but they don't. Personally I have zero interest in bringing Amazon or Google into my home in this way, so this delay affects me not at all.
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I doubt it would make much difference though, I can't see this selling a lot. Too dear for what it does.
Not exactly. Apple’s speaker is first and foremost a speaker. The media seem intent on spinning a ‘battle of the personal assistants’ narrative. But this is a false narrative with respect to HomePod. It is also a battle Apple is certain to lose since they refuse to play dirty with our privacy.
HomePod introduces ambitious, groundbreaking computational audio that delivers outstanding audio performance. You could just control it from your phone and it’s built in touch controls and never use Siri and you will still have a great product with no equal.
Just look at the market for great sounding AirPlay speakers and you have B&O and Devialet. Then consider that you can buy 4 HomePods for less than the price of 1 Devialet. - It’s a bargain!
So let’s not reduce HomePod to ‘Apple’s answer to the Echo’ and judge it on the basis of what Siri on it can and can’t do, or as an independent platform for developpers to write apps - apps on a speaker are a bad idea!
This may be the problem! Siri will look foolish compared to the competition. I'd like to hear a conversation about Siri in an AI podcast.
Maybe an engineer is working on these being more surround sound friendly.
Would also like lighting effects from these.
" … will most customers buy something else ?" or " … has Apple miss a critical opportunity ?" or our favourite chuckle " … is Apple doomed ?".
Siri is good at what it does, but it needs to get a lot better at contextual awareness, true adaptive intelligence, and handling complex queries.
My problem with both: No AirPlay 2 support. Devialet has AirPlay 1, and will hopefully be updated with AirPlay 2. M&D is just Bluetooth and Chromecast. No thanks.
I'm a longtime AirPlay user, and I'm praying that Apple updates the AirPort Express to support AirPlay 2, either with a firmware update, or (less likely) a new 802.11ac model. I also have a relatively recent Denon receiver with AirPlay support that I hope will get the AirPlay 2 update. We've contacted numerous manufacturers about AirPlay 2 support, and their response has been, at best, a collective shrug — it would seem Apple has kept manufacturers in the dark about firmware support, and so they are genuinely unsure whether their devices will be able to support the new standard. That's a shame, and might be one of the reasons the HomePod was delayed.
just wonder how come we have all the rumours about every single component of new iPhones almost a year in advance and what are the struggles, but the sources remain silent about HomePod...
If Apple isn't making a TV Set, please just let other TV manufacture license AirPlay2 so i can stream it without an Apple TV.
Siri definitely needs to get better. It won't have a screen as a crutch to say "here's a website".
Niel, which Battery case did you pick up for your iPhone X.