Like Google's Home and Amazon's Echo, the HomePod can provide information such as weather forecasts, control smart lighting and other gadgets, and stream music.
Measuring just under 7 inches, the speaker will be available in white and space grey.
But some tech heads reviewing the product said Apple customers might be disappointed by its lack of revolutionary new features.
More than 35 million people in the United States are predicted to use a voice-activated speaker at least once a month this year, according to research firm eMarketer. The company itself stated that its new HomePod is created to deliver a great listening experience, and everything is offered on the smart speaker is secondary. Rumored and now confirmed, Apple TV will add Amazon's content through an app to be available later this year. Macquarie thinks as long as the audio quality holds up, consumers will snap up the new speaker. Apple is calling it HomePod and it will cost $350. Amazon, for example, sold more than 11 million Echo devices from mid-2015 to December 1, 2016, according to estimates from Morgan Stanley analysts, who calculated statistics from before the latest holiday season. Unlike the HomePod, the Sonos Play:3 can be used both vertically and horizontally, meaning it's easier to place around the home.
Tapping Apple's (AAPL) Siri digital assistant, such a speaker is expected to serve as a butler as well as an outlet for listening to music. Analysts are yet to be convinced that HomePod will rock the smart speaker market the way iPhones came to rule the smartphone world and iPods dominated MP3 players.
Munster was not as enthusiastic about the HomePod, which was developed to rival Amazon's Echo (AAPL) and Google's Home (GOOGL). Apple say it will launch at a price of $349 (roughly £270) in the USA, with official pricing for Australia and the United Kingdom will be released later this year.
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Even more important in the era of Ultra HD, Apple still has not announced a "Gen.5" version Apple TV with 4K and HDR capability.
While the HomePod's price point, compared with the competition, is a "steep barrier", Mr Gillett noted that Apple has put a much more robust processor in the device. Apple said that makes the Mac a great platform for development virtual-reality "experiences".
It wouldn't be the first time that Apple hopped on the bandwagon of a technology product popularized by a competitor. Cook has always been bullish about the prospects for augmented reality, and Apple is working on smart glasses, people familiar with the plans have said. Improved navigation features can also suggest lanes when you're driving, so there's no more last minute lane switching in order to make your turn.
Apple is introducing an iPad Pro in a new size in an attempt to revive interest in its once hot-selling line of tablets.
Cook and other Apple executives showed off several additional new Siri functions, highlighting how the company has been working to catch up with similar offerings from Alphabet Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.
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