HomePod Release Date News: Apple Delaying Deliveries For Speaker In Certain Locations

The HomePod is available for pre-order set to be released this week, but it’s already sold out in some countries, MacRumors first spotted.

Apple began taking pre-orders for its latest product on Jan. 26 in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. The company had revealed the speaker in June and promised to deliver the gadget by December, but was forced to delay the device. The $349 HomePod is set to hit stores this Friday.

Delivery for the HomePod is still scheduled for Feb. 9 for people who pre-order their speaker today in the United States. Customers in the United Kingdom and Australia aren’t as lucky. As of Tuesday noon, delivery estimates for the speaker had been pushed back by a few days to Feb. 13 in Australia and Feb. 12 in the United Kingdom. The delayed delivery dates in the U.K. and Australia apply for both White and Black HomePod models.

In case U.S. customers start seeing pushed back delivery dates, they’ll still be able to physically get a HomePod on Feb. 9. Consumers can get the speaker at Apple Stores and other retail stores like Best Buy. As for people who have previously placed their orders for the HomePod, some say they have already received a UPS tracking number for the device.

The HomePod comes into a smart speaker market that is dominated by Amazon Alexa gadgets. Amazon sold tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices worldwide during the holiday season, taking advantage of the HomePod’s delayed release date. Google is also catching up with its speakers, selling tens of millions of Google devices for the home over the course of last year. Meanwhile, Sonos has been trying to boost sales as the HomePod release date approaches by offering two Sonos One speakers for the price of one HomePod.

The HomePod is a much pricier option than other speakers on the market. Amazon offers its devices as low as $49.99 and as high as $229. Meanwhile, the Google Home is priced at $129 and the Home Mini at $49.99. However, Apple touted its gadgets not as an assistant, but as a quality speaker for music lovers.

The HomePod works with Apple Music and will have multi-room speaker support via AirPlay 2 later this year. Siri can work as the user’s DJ as it progressively learns more about their taste in music. The device lets users send messages, set timers, play music or podcasts, get news briefs and check sports, traffic and weather updates. It also allows users to control HomeKit smart home accessories. The HomePod also knows where in the room it has been placed and will be able to sense when another HomePod has been added to the home.

The speaker comes with Apple’s A8 chip and features a mesh fabric for aesthetic and acoustic performance. The HomePod includes a high‑excursion woofer, seven horn-loaded tweeters that each come with their own custom amplifier and a six-microphone array.