New Apple speakers planned

With several weeks delay Apple brings its intelligent speaker HomePod on the market and wants to compete with Amazon and Google. The Californian group announced on Tuesday that it can order customers from the US, UK and Australia from Friday. The voice-controlled device had been announced in June and was supposed to be available in December. With the shift, Apple missed the lucrative Christmas business.

Experts say there is a risk for Apple that many consumers put smart speakers from Amazon or Google under the tree and the two rivals could expand their dominance. They had lowered the prices for entry-level models. Apple offers its HomePod for $ 349. In spring, the device should also be available in Germany, the price is not yet known.

Owners of the loudspeaker can use voice control to play music, control the heating in the home, send messages or read aloud messages. Apple managers are also hoping that more users will subscribe to Apple Music's in-house music streaming service instead of relocating to rival Spotify. Spotify is also compatible with Amazon and Google speakers, while Apple Music does not work on these devices