Apple's HomePod Could Launch Soon After Receiving FCC Approval
Apple’s HomePod may be close to its official debut. The smart speaker has just received FCC approval, signaling that Apple can place the device on sale at any time. Any communication devices must receive FCC approval to go on sale in the United States.
An image from the FCC documents.
The FCC approval comes just days after a report said that the first 1 million HomePod units have been shipped from a supplier.
Retailing for $349, the Siri-powered speaker was first announced in June 2017 at WWDC with an arrival date of December. But Apple delayed that until “early 2018.”
While missing the important holiday shopping season, the HomePod will apparently have a long way to climb to battle other competitors, most notably Amazon’s line of reasonably priced Echo devices.
Even though the HomePod has a higher price than other smart speakers, Apple is promising a quality sound experience. The device features an Apple A8 chip, seven-tweeter array, and a 4-inch designed Apple woofer. It connects to Apple Music wirelessly through Wi-Fi and to other Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, through AirPlay 2.
