Apple's HomePod to Hit Chinese Market Early Next Year

 

Apple's HomePod smart speaker will be available for purchase in China in early 2019. With the listing already up on Apple's China site, the HomePod will be sold at RMB 2,799 (about $407), which is approximately 17% more than the speaker's $349 price tag in the United States. While Apple has yet to release an exact shipping date for Chinese buyers, it has promised the HomePod will be available early next year.

As of now, Amazon Echo and Google Home haven’t launched in China, which gives Apple a head start with its smart speakers. However, it will face fierce competition from domestic companies such as Alibaba’s Tmall Genie, Tencent’s Tingting and Baidu’s Xiaodu, among others. Many of these Chinese smart speakers come at significantly lower prices compared to the HomePod, with some being offered at a discounted price of around $15.

However, despite being much more expensive, the HomePod will likely still be an attractive option for iOS users in China, who have shown a strong preference for Apple's products. In spite of fierce competition from Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi, Apple held an 11.9% market share in China as of the second quarter of 2018, according to Gartner.

The HomePod was initially launched in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia in February before making its way to France, Germany, Canada, Mexico, and Spain over the succeeding months. The speaker has received positive reviews for its audio quality and voice-activated capabilities, which are powered by Apple's virtual assistant Siri.