What Critics Are Saying About Apple's HomePod

At long last, Apple's HomePod is here--or reviews of it are, at least. The HomePod, Apple's answer to the Amazon Echo and Google Home, begins shipping on Friday, but early reviews of the $349 smart home speaker began making the rounds Tuesday morning. The initial verdict, it would appear, is decidedly mixed. The smart speaker faces stiff competition from Amazon and Google's product lines, which have both been available for multiple years and experienced booming sales in recent months. However, Apple has positioned its entrant as not just a voice-based smart home assistant but as a high-end audio device and musical companion.