Apple is tipped to launch a Beats HomePod under $200

Apple is planning to launch a cheaper HomePod to take on other rival brands like Amazon and Google. Its been reported by Strategy Analytics that Apple's smart speaker accounted for a paltry 6 percent of the global smart speaker market during the recent March quarter. Where on the other hand, Amazon's Echo devices have collected 81.8 percent share.

An anonymous source has claimed that Apple is in talks with MediaTek to launch a cheap version of its HomePod speakers to grab more market share. But the HomePod will not be linked with Apple's brand name. Instead, it will come under the Beats brand. As per the reports, the low-priced model would cost around $199 which is much cheaper than the current HomePod.

This information does make sense for some reasons. As we know Half of a smart speaker are speaker and it has to be clear and loud enough to be heard, and Beats' headset technology might be useful here. In addition, keeping the Apple name off a cheaper smart speaker differentiates it from the HomePod. But at the end of the day, it's from its parent company Apple only.

There are two major factors for the lack of HomePod sales momentum. One, Siri on the HomePod is laughably deficient compared to intelligent assistants from Amazon and Google. Secondly, Siri functionalities are limited on the HomePod when compared to Siri on the iPhone. The most important part is, the HomePod is far more expensive than rival devices. Apple's HomePod comes with a price tag of $349 while Google Home can be purchased for as little as $130.

Just to recall Apple HomePod comes with a 7-inch smart speaker has abilities to play music, check the news and control the other connected devices. The device uses spatial awareness in order to sense its location in any room and adjust the audio automatically.

The Apple HomePod has a woofer that is designed by Apple. The woofer renders clean and deep bass and a custom array comprising seven beam-forming tweeters. The speaker has Siri, Apple's voice assistant and wireless access to Apple Music Library. The HomePod has six mics that facilitate easier interactions. The device can learn user preferences and handle advanced searches within the library. Also, it will send messages and provide updates on sports, weather and news.

Let's see when the company will come up with the new smart speakers and we will see a cheaper model of the HomePods.

8 Ways To Make Your iPhone Battery Last Longer!

Source