Apple’s AI-based home speaker project, HomePod appears to be stuck with some delays and the product may be launched only next year. Apple has officially confirmed this in a statement and have said the HomePod is still work in progress and they need more time to finish and reach the device to their customers’ homes. The first quarter of 2018 may see the speakers being shipped to the US, the UK and the Australian markets.

Apple had announced earlier that its HomePod wireless speaker will be sold at $349and would be available by December this year. The current announcement from the company clarifies that it will only be after New Year that the product will be fully tested and ready for shipment. More than the customers who wish to try out the new product from Apple, it is probably the competing products, like Amazon Echo and Google Home who are waiting with bated breath to see the new device in the market. There is also the high end Sonos which is also an entrenched player.

Apple has had a history of winning the hearts of its customers by the sheer weight of its superior technology and value-for-money products in the past and one can expect the HomePod also to create similar ripples in the home speaker segment.

To recall the specifications of the HomePod as revealed by Apple, the device will be cylindrical in shape and will have a range of speakers and sub-woofers and microphones. The big question in everyone’s mind is how good would be the SIRI personal assistant on the HomePod and if it will match up with the dynamic properties of Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. That could be one of the reasons for the delay; that Apple wants to be absolutely sure it is sending out the best in class design.