HomePod only coming in early 2018, says Apple to disappointed holiday shoppers

Apple HomePod Amazon Echo Google Home smart speakers

If you thought of ordering an Apple HomePod for Christmas, it better be Christmas 2018.

Apple recently shared the bad news with TechCrunch:

“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. We’ll start shipping in the US, UK and Australia in early 2018.”

The $350 smart speaker is one of the most highly anticipated products in this market segment. With several companies now vying for a share of what the Amazon Echo helped create, it’s imperative that companies like Apple and Microsoft move quickly on their products.

The longer they wait, the more difficult it will be to catch up to Amazon, which isn’t going to happen in the next couple of years, anyway.

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