Apple’s long-awaited smart speaker is finally hitting shelves.
The HomePod will be available February 9, and goes on pre-order this Friday, Apple announced on Tuesday. The release dates apply to the U.S., U.K. and Australia, while the speaker will be sold in France and Germany, two of Siri’s primary markets, later this spring.
Apple’s HomePod was unveiled last year and is widely seen as Siri’s answer to Amazon‘s Alexa, although Apple has emphasized the high-fidelity music capabilities of the speaker.
After Alexa dominated the holiday season, there will be extra pressure on Apple. Although Amazon rarely discloses exact sales, the e-commerce company has said that its Echoes were among the top-selling products across any category during the holidays.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
