In December 2017, Apple HomePod was out for shipment with an eleventh-hour delay due to software and hardware integration problem. According to a new report by Taipei Times, this smart speaker will begin its shipment from one of its two assemblers.
The initial shipment will be from Inventec, which includes around 1 million of the 10-12 million HomePods expected to ship this year. The next half order will be fulfilled by Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry.
Apple HomePod speaker features Apple’s Siri as its voice-controlled AI assistant. Suppliers of HomePod received its shipment notice from Apple at the beginning of January. Apple is on its way to rolling out this device in early 2018 which will be released in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. HomePod runs a customized version of Apple’s iOS operating system that must be pre-installed in a usably complete form prior to leaving the factory.
The delay cost Apple some fraction; this loss is likely to remain unclear throughout 2018. Apple HomePod costs $349 which is quite expensive than any other smart speakers that have gained traction over the past three years. Users began to explore smart assistant options other than Siri due to which apps for Amazon’s and Google’s speakers dominated Apple’s App Store by reflecting their popularity with iOS.
