Apple followers are closely following the release of HomePod this Christmas season, being the first smart speaker developed by the Cupertino-based tech titan. Unfortunately, Apple could not keep its promise of a 2017 launch date for HomePod, as the Siri-powered gadget is now expected to be released next year.

Based on Apple's recent announcement, the HomePod release is postponed indefinitely to 2018. It is not certain if the new target release date will fall in the early months of 2018, although the public will have to be patient at this point. Apple earlier revealed that the HomePod would become available this holiday season, but due to unknown circumstances, the face-off between the new smart speaker and its slated rival, Amazon Echo, has been delayed.

"We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers," a spokesperson from Apple told The Verge. "We'll start shipping in the US, UK and Australia in early 2018."

Meanwhile, there are new reports surrounding the HomePod's long period of development. According to Bloomberg's sources, Apple did not really intend to rival Amazon Echo by creating the HomePod. In fact, the company regarded the smart speaker as a side project back in 2012. As usual with Apple's other side projects, the HomePod has been reportedly cancelled and revived numerous times. It was only in 2014 with the Echo's launch that Apple decided to release its own smart speaker with a more powerful sound.

The Apple HomePod is currently priced at $349, which is within the upper range of high-end smart speakers such as Sonos. The HomePod boasts a slick cylindrical design built with a seven-speaker setup. The speaker features a four inch subwoofer and a six-microphone array, making the HomePod a superior product of its kind in terms of audio quality.