Apple's HomePod is finally arriving in stores on Feb. 9, but there are some features that will not come with the smart speaker out of the box. These features will be rolled out by the Cupertino giant through post-launch updates. In case you are wondering what they are, here's a rundown of the things that are coming to the device after its release. When Apple Insider had the chance to check out HomePod during the 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference, the news outlet discovered that the device still didn't have multiple room support. The publication was able to connect two HomePods for stereo through its stereo linking feature, but it wasn't able to access multiple room support.

The Apple HomePod was supposed to go on sale last month at the height of the holiday season, but Apple pushed back its release date to early 2018. Now, the tech giant has finally announced a HomePod release date. Apple announced in a press release today that the HomePod will be released Feb. 9. The company also confirmed customers will be able to pre-order the HomePod online starting Jan. 26. The Siri-powered smart speaker is also set to arrive in France and Germany this spring.

Apple will release its brand new HomePod in just a couple of weeks, it has announced. The smart speaker will go on sale on 9 February. Pre-orders will open this Friday, 26 January, it said in a statement. The 7-inch speaker will cost £319 in the UK, as well as similar prices in the US and Australia when it goes on sale at the end of this week. It will go on sale in France and Germany in spring, Apple said – voice assistants often roll out slower than other products, since they rely on having local data and languages.

Amazon's Echo smart speaker is about to get a hot new rival – the Apple HomePod. The device was originally supposed to go on sale last year and was ultimately delayed, but latest rumors suggest a HomePod release date is just around the corner. The HomePod is a direct rival to the Amazon Echo and Google Home smart speakers. It's powered by Apple's Siri virtual assistant, and can be controlled by voice commands. Just like the Echo, HomePod will perform tasks like playing music or telling you about the weather.

But there's no need to worry. The speaker is coming into a market full of competitors – plenty of which do the same thing. So if you now have a rounded, bin-shaped hole under your Christmas tree, you can replace it with another voice-enabled speaker. The HomePod boasts of a huge range of features: beautiful sound, a small, beautiful build, and the ability to control it all with your voice. Not all of those features can be replaced – but some of them can be.

Apple has delayed the HomePod, its next big new release. The Siri-enabled speaker is intended to be Apple's response to the increasing popularity of gadgets like the Amazon Echo, Google Home and the Sonos One. But it will have to wait a while before taking them on, since it has been delayed until "early 2018". "We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers," a statement from Apple said. "We'll start shipping in the US, UK, and Australia in early 2018."