Apple's Siri-Equipped HomePod Speaker Is Finally Coming Out Next Month

Apple's Siri-equipped HomePod smart speaker will be available starting Feb. 9, the company announced Tuesday. Preorders for the $349 device begin Jan. 26. The HomePod is Apple's entry into the highly competitive smart speaker space, first popularized by the Amazon Echo, later joined by the Google Home. At $349, the HomePod is far pricer than many rival devices -- the cheapest Echo, the Echo Dot, can be had for about $49. But Apple is pitching the device as a high-end home speaker more akin to devices like the Sonos PLAY lineup, although with voice-activated capabilities thanks to Siri integration.