Apple revives larger HomePod smart speaker priced at $299

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Apple Inc. will release a new version of the original HomePod smart speaker after the company had discontinued its predecessor and replaced it with a smaller and cheaper version.

The new HomePod will sell for $299 starting Feb. 3, alongside the HomePod mini, which costs $99. Similar to an Amazon.com Inc. Echo speaker, owners control the HomePod with their voice and can use it to play music, set timers or send messages.

With the new product, Apple will emphasize smart-home features and the ability to use the device to automate daily chores in the home. The gadget is compatible with products that can lower window blinds automatically, check room temperature and humidity and notify homeowners if smoke or carbon monoxide is detected. Apple is also touting the larger HomePod's sound fidelity.

“With the popularity of HomePod mini, we've seen growing interest in even more powerful acoustic achievable in a larger HomePod,” Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing at Apple, said in a statement Wednesday.