One week ahead of HomePod's launch date in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia on February 9, the first batch of pre-order customers have begun receiving notifications from their banks about being charged for their orders, many located in the UK. According to tips, customers have noticed a charge placed on their cards related to HomePod orders as of early this morning, one week after pre-orders initially went up last Friday, January 26.
Image via MacRumors forum member smr
As customers begin getting charged, shipment preparations are also gearing up for HomePod and some MacRumors forum members have shared that their orders are "preparing for dispatch" with the expected delivery date of February 9.
This places HomePod pre-order shipping schedules on track with previous Apple device launches, and more users should begin noticing charges and shipment preparation order updates throughout the day. Next, the first set of HomePods will likely begin shipping out this weekend or early next week.
Initial hands-on impressions of the speaker have been positive, with a few websites enjoying the design of the HomePod, a "fast and seamless" integration with Siri, and favoring the audio quality over rival speakers like Sonos One and Google Home Max.
Among those giving impressions was a user on the audiophile subreddit, who noted "significantly better" audio than Google Home Max, and summed up their post by stating, "A single HomePod, for the size and price, slaughters most speakers under $1000."
For those who haven't yet pre-ordered, HomePod orders placed on Apple.com today are still available for a February 9 delivery or pick-up date in both White and Space Gray.
Thursday February 12, 2026 11:17 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Friday February 13, 2026 2:01 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to launch a rebranded "Sales Coach" app on the iPhone and iPad later this month, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"Sales Coach" will arrive as an update to Apple's existing "SEED" app, and it will continue to provide sales tips and training resources to Apple Store and Apple Authorized Reseller employees around the world. For example, there are articles and videos...
Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 3:36 am PST by Tim Hardwick
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor.
Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
It was the same thing when the Apple Watch came out, I remember people telling me it was never going to be a success and that I’d just wasted my money, I’ve learned to just ignore those comments now.
Pretty much true. Ditto with AirPods.
Some people are so invested in tearing something down they haven't tried. Guess it helps them to feel good about themselves.
With Apple's 14 day return policy, it's easy enough to evaluate HomePod in your own listening environment - which is what really counts - and then decide if it's a keeper or not.
Probably the most controversial speaker ever. :rolleyes: So many people getting bent out of shape because they think everyone else should care about and agree with their opinion of this speaker. o_O
Probably the most controversial speaker ever. :rolleyes: So many people getting bent out of shape because they think everyone else should care about and agree with their opinion of this speaker. o_O
It was the same thing when the Apple Watch came out, I remember people telling me it was never going to be a success and that I’d just wasted my money, I’ve learned to just ignore those comments now.
$350? For a speaker? Apple, half of your userbase (probably more like 3/4) probably think this is just siri except not on a phone. You think they'll pay $350 for something they don't even understand?
I hear ya, bro... What's next, people paying $160 for wireless earbuds? Now that would be a real knee slapper!
