As you might have heard, Apple’s HomePod speakers was supposed to launch this year, but Apple later confirmed that the speaker would be delayed to 2018. This is rather unfortunate as we’re sure that some were looking forward to getting it in time for the holidays, but know that Apple feels bad about it.Speaking to Bright.nl, Apple’s Phil Schiller was quoted as saying, “We feel bad we aren’t able to deliver Homepod for the holidays. We’re going to take the time to do it right and make sure it’s great when it comes out. We need more time to make it right.” Schiller went on to further explain Apple’s plan for the HomePod and how it is expected to fit in with the rest of Apple’s products and services.
According to Schiller, “It has a built-in home hub so if you have a Homepod you can now access all your Homekit equipment and stuff from outside the home because of Homepod. It plays that role just like the Apple TV also can do. It integrates with Siri to control all of your devices in your home. Our vision is you can just walk into a room, the Homepod will be there and you can just say turn on the lights, close the curtains and whatever you like to do and it will do that. It has a very important role to the smart home in the future for Apple.”
Unfortunately Schiller did not provide a specific release date for the HomePod, so for all we know, it could launch towards the end of 2018, although hopefully that won’t be the case. Either way we’ll keep our eyes peeled for a release date, so check back with us in the future for more updates.