Apple HomePod to Launch in Canada, France, and Germany in June  

• Apple’s HomePod is finally releasing in Canada, France, and Germany months after its release in the US, UK, and Australia. 
• The HomePod is a Siri-powered smart speaker that has been suffering from dwindling sales figures.
• The device is yet to experience a widespread global launch with only six countries being part of Apple’s distribution officially.

With the iOS 11.4 announcement foreshadowing other news from Apple, the Cupertino tech giant finally revealed more details about its HomePod launch outside of the US, UK and Australia. The Siri-powered smart speaker will finally be available in Canada, France, and Germany starting June 18.

With the sales figures of the device dwindling according to experts, global market expansion is necessary if Apple wants to keep the device afloat and experience decent sales figures. The smart speaker of choice is currently Alexa from Amazon, with its cheap price tag and sync with a large number of Amazon’s offerings like Prime Video, Prime Music and more. Apple is yet to reveal any official sales figures for the HomePod since its launch.

Image Courtesy of Slashgear

The new iOS 11.4 update will bring new features to the device including multi-room audio and pairing with other HomePods in proximity. Apple’s smart speaker is priced at $349 in the US, and there is no word on the pricing in the newly announced markets. With Amazon’s offerings available at a fraction of the price, it is unlikely Apple will experience a spurt in sales anytime soon. Future iOS updates and added functionality are needed to make the HomePod a more appealing product. Currently, the smart speaker does not do much outside of the Apple ecosystem.

Apple touted the HomePod as an intelligent home assistant with Siri integration. The HomePod has excellent audio quality compared to other budget speakers, and it can sync with services like Apple Music and Siri to customize your music experience. Siri uses AI learning to understand each user’s taste in music and offer suggestions for playlists. The HomePod can also handle everyday tasks and sync with a range of smart home devices. It works with all current generation iOS devices that have iOS 11.0 or later installed.