Malcolm Owen
Apple will be bringing the HomePod to China and Hong Kong, the company has announced, with the major markets set to be the next two regions where the smart speaker will be sold.
The Chinese regional Apple website advises the HomePod will launch in the first part of 2019, though not exactly when it will become available. Both white and space gray color options will be offered, with the HomePod being sold for 2,799 yuan ($408) each.
AppleCare+ will also be available to purchase at the same time, with the website listing it at 329 yuan ($48) for two years of coverage.
At the same time, the regional version of the Apple website covering Hong Kong reveals the HomePod is also "coming early 2019." Given the connection between the two markets, it is highly likely the HomePod will become available at roughly the same time in each area, if not on the same day.
In Hong Kong, the HomePod costs HK$2,799 ($358), while AppleCare+ for HomePod is priced at HK$349 ($45).
For both markets, the HomePod is listed as having support for Chinese in Simplified, Traditional, and Traditional Hong Kong forms. These arrived on Wednesday as part of a wave of operating system updates which brought HomePod's software up to 12.1.1.
Support for other languages, including variants of English, French, Spanish, and German, are also included.
China and Hong Kong join a relatively short list of markets where the HomePod is available. Originally launched in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, it also became available to buy in Canada, France, and Germany in June, and more recently launched in Mexico and Spain.
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1 Comment
Compared to many of Apple's recent refreshed products this actually represents good value. The sound quality is fantastic and the recent OS updates have brought it to where it should've been at launch.