Apple £319 HomePod to finally go on February 9th

Apple has joined the race to put a microphone in every home. The firm today announced that its £319 ($349) 'HomePad' smart speaker is finally set to go on sale on 9th February in the US, UK and Australia - just over a month later than initially planned. The wireless smart speaker uses spatial awareness technology to sense its place in a room and adjust audio output accordingly. The 7in speaker, first unveiled last year but whose release was delayed from December, will also house Apple's virtual assistant Siri, meaning it can be controlled using voice commands and also provide news and weather information when asked. It is fitted with six microphones to records owners' voice commands.