Apple might launch HomePod soon following FCC approval

Apple initially pushed back the release of the HomePod speaker to “early 2018” to develop the product further. Early might be happening sooner than we think. The company just received official FCC approval for the smart speaker, meaning they can start selling the device at any time. In the US, all devices that make use of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology need to be submitted to the United States Federal Communications Commission to make sure they meet federal regulations. For comparison’s sake, Apple started selling the iPhone X just under a month after it received FCC approval.

The FCC approval follows rumours that the smart speaker’s supplier Inventec started shipping HomePod units to Apple with the company set to reportedly receive “about 1 million” units, at least according to an industry source that spoke with Taipei Times. But like other Apple products, initial supplies might be limited. Rumour has it Inventec expects revenue from the HomePod to be “limited” in the first quarter because of the low of HomePod devices that are available for shipment.

Source: MacRumors

WWDC 2017: Apple enters smart speaker space with HomePod

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

San Jose, CA - Apple gave delegates to its yearly WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) a sneak peek at their new HomePod smart home speaker. At just under 7 inches tall, HomePod represents years of hardware and software innovation at Apple, including spatial awareness that allows HomePod to sense its location in a room and automatically adjust the audio to deliver a great music experience, a large, Apple-designed woofer and a custom array of seven beam-forming tweeters.

“Apple reinvented portable music with iPod and now HomePod will reinvent how we enjoy music wirelessly throughout our homes,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “HomePod packs powerful speaker technology, Siri intelligence and wireless access to the entire Apple Music library into a beautiful speaker"

Coming to the US and UK in December, HomePod is powered by an Apple A8 processor, it integrates Siri, has access to Apple Music's 40 million song library and can also control IoT and connected home devices by serving ans a HomeKit hub.