Apple made its entry into the crowded smart speaker arena with the HomePod. It’s a bit different from other speakers powered by virtual assistants as the company focused more on providing a high-end audio experience, which is why it’s much more expensive than the Amazon Echo Dots of the world. According to a new report, Apple will launch a new HomePod speaker next year.
Analysts predict that Apple is going to launch a cheaper HomePod speaker in 2019. It will aim to appeal to a wider portion of the market with this device.
The original HomePod costs $349 and Apple has reportedly not found a lot of takers for the device at this price. This isn’t the first we’re hearing of a cheaper HomePod though, the possibility has been raised in multiple reports already.
In addition to the cheaper HomePod, Apple is also predicted to launch the new “AirPods 2” in time for the 2019 holiday season. This prediction goes against recent reports which suggested that the new AirPods could arrive early next year.
All of these analyst predicts are based on information obtained from the supply chain which can often be hit or miss. So all of this is far from confirmed even if it appears to be within the realm of possibility.
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