Apple unveiled its Siri-powered smart speaker called the HomePod last year. The company was supposed to launch it in December but it ended up delaying the release to “early 2018.” Apple is yet to confirm when it’s going to release this product but if a new report gives us any indication, the launch might take place sooner rather than later.
The HomePod is reportedly being assembled by two of Apple’s manufacturing partners, Foxconn and Inventec. The company is said to have prepared a relatively small initial shipment of one million units.
A report out of Taiwan claims that HomePod shipments will reach 10-12 million units this year and both Inventec and Foxconn are expected to account for half of that total figure each. It’s unclear if Foxconn has begun shipments of HomePod to Apple at this point in time. If Inventec has been able to do it then Foxconn shouldn’t be too far behind.
Apple is yet to confirm when it’s going to officially release the HomePod speaker. It’s the company’s first voice-enabled speaker that will take on the likes of Amazon Echo and Google Home, both of which have galloped ahead in the market while Apple struggles to get its competitor out the door. Apple is going to charge $349 for the HomePod when its released.
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