The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the sale of Apple’s HomePod.

It means that the Siri-powered speaker, which reportedly costs $349, would be out on the market anytime now.

Delayed Launch

Apple was supposed to launch the HomePod last year but decided to delay it to early this year as the company “needed a little more time” to make the device ready for customers, a Mashable report said.

(Read: Apple Homepod First Listen: This Is What a $349 Speaker Sounds Like)

Mashable said Apple revealed that shipment of the HomePod to the U.S., UK, and Australia would start “in early 2018“.

The site also said that while the FCC approval “doesn’t reveal anything new about HomePod, we know we’re in the home stretch before release.”

One Million Units Already Manufactured

Mashable said the Taipei Times reported that Inventec, one of the two suppliers of the HomePod, already made a million of the smart speakers.

Inventec and Foxconn, the other HomePod makers, are reportedly expecting to ship a total of 10 to 12 million units by the year-end.

Stiff Competition

Apple’s HomePod, however, would meet stiff competition from Amazon’s Echo and Google Home. The smart speaker market had long been dominated by Amazon and Google.

(Read: Apple Homepod Clears FCC Hurdle, Faces Tough Battle Against Amazon Echo and Google Home)

Mashable said HomePod’s success would depend on several factors including price (it costs way more than an Echo Dot or Google Home Mini and $100 more than an Echo, Echo Plus or Google Home.

Also, while the HomePod produces good sound, comparable to the Google Home Max, the site said: “Will people be willing to pay for it? An Echo or Home provides good-enough sound.”

What’s Next?

Apple is coming out with a smart speaker called HomePod and is expected to meet tough competition from Amazon and Google’s smart speakers.

What can you say about this development? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

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