felix01

MacRumors has a HomePod article which includes details on how to track your UPS Next Day Air Saver HomePod shipment even if Apple still shows "Preparing to Ship." All you need is the phone number associated with the order.

Worked for me, a nine pound package scheduled for delivery tomorrow (Friday) by end-of-day. 

HomePod was ordered about 15 minutes after the Apple Store opened up for business two weeks ago tomorrow. Yet here we are one day to go and I still don't have a tracking number from Apple. But the "Your Orders" webpage says "Next Day Shipping" so I guess it's premature to start being concerned. If it makes it on a plane this evening from a distribution warehouse, I guess I should get it tomorrow. 

leighr said:

Cost is a relative thing. Perhaps Apple would have been better to introduce HomePod at $175 in order to firstly gain market share, and then move up to premium HomePodPro models. <snip>

Most quality MBA programs have a case study or two on just this question and you are 100% bassackwards. The time-proven strategy is to skim off the premium market first while recovering R&D costs and then gradually step down the price as production ramps up and assembly experience lowers production costs. Sequentially skim off every segment of the market, high to low.

One of the earliest practitioners of this strategy in the electronics business was Polaroid Corporation (consumer-friendly instant cameras). 

I've been trying every half hour or so since ~4:30 am EST and the blue Buy button remains MIA. Clearly sales didn't open up at midnight PST as all the Apple-related websites were claiming.

So much for Tim Cook’s repeated claims that Apple was paying every cent due in taxes. Is this just a case of differing opinions among tax attorneys or is Apple just being overly aggressive with deductions and now being called to task?