Apple’s new smart speaker may cost as little as $199 when it goes on sale.
The Cupertino-based company is reportedly planning to launch a more affordable version of its HomePod smart speaker under the Beats Brand.
Rumours about a cheaper version of the HomePod has already surfaced in April, just two months after its official launch. This is apparently because of a slow market uptake of the HomePod, having to compete with other brands like Amazon Echo and Google Home. However, this is the first time that we are hearing about the device being under the Beats brand.
According to Apple’s Taiwan supply chain source, the company is said to be planning a $199 HomePod. This is through a report in Loveios. Apple is apparently in talks with MediaTek for the production of the cheaper smart speaker.
The original HomePod is currently priced at $349. To compare, both the Google Home and Amazon Echo start at $49. So it is not surprising that Apple would want to decrease its smart speaker pricing to compete with the other big names.
Apple already owns the Beats brand and its audio technology so it is also not a surprising move. Marketing the speakers under Beats would allow Apple to have room for design, especially colours and textures.
It is important to note that these are still rumours and should be taken with a grain of salt. Apple coulda also be releasing a Beats-branded AirPlay 2 instead of a cheaper HomePod. We will just have to wait and see!
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