What’s in Store for Smart Homes in 2018

After an extended period of “Will they? Won’t they?” Apple, which had previously seemed inclined to let users control their homes via smart device-enabled Siri, is ready to make its entry into the smart speaker market with the HomePod.

While initially aimed for this Christmas, the HomePod now has its sights set on early 2018. With a lot of ground to gain on their Silicon Valley siblings, what will the House of Jobs’ first foray feature?

True to Apple's nature, the HomePod will marry fine form with superior function. The HomePod—which looks something like an artist’s interpretation of tightly spooled thread—will be first and foremost a piece of high-quality audio equipment. Featuring a high-excursion woofer with a custom amplifier and ringed with a seven tweeter array, the HomePod aims to provide 360-degree sound that is true, consistent and smart. The HomePod will recognize where it is placed in your home—or if another HomePod is present—and will automatically adjust its audio output to achieve the “surrounded by sound” effect.

As for other smart features, it’s exactly what one would expect—equipped with Siri intelligence, the HomePod can answer questions, control other smart home devices and seamlessly play out songs from your smartphone or Apple Music account.

The HomePod is expected to retail for $349 when it launches.

The maker of the market-leading Echo, the more diminutive Echo Dot and the video-equipped Echo Show has no intention of resting on its laurels when it comes to their Alexa-enabled line of smart speakers.

Debuting just in time for Christmas, the Echo Spot looks to liberate your alarm clock from your smartphone and return it to its own dedicated device—dedicated, but with a host of other features too. Equipped with a 2.5-inch circular video display and a second generation far-field microphone array, the Spot will not only awaken you but allow you to control your home—or catch up on the latest news—from the comfort of your bed. The semi-spherical device can also be paired to external speakers via Bluetooth or cable. The Spot is available for $130.

Perhaps more substantial than any new Echo products, however, will be Amazon’s continuing push to free their oft-acclaimed A.I. assistant Alexa from its cylindrical shell and integrated directly into various smart home devices. In Amazon’s ideal world, smart home users will be talking directly to their Alexa-equipped lights, locks and laundry machines—a move which may undercut the pure Echo/Dot/Show products but will ultimately greatly expand the reach of Alexa (and Amazon).

Not one to be left out of the high-quality audio equipment-meets-smart speaker game, Google launched the Google Home Max in December. The pill-shaped speakers, which can be aligned horizontally or vertically thanks to a magnetic base, look to compete directly with the forthcoming Apple HomePod as well as more substantial Alexa-enabled speakers like the Sonos One. The Max will feature “Smart Sound” spatial awareness software that allows the speaker to automatically adjust to provide optimal audio regardless of where it is placed in your home. In addition to the multi-faceted smart speaker capabilities built in to all Home devices and high-quality hardware (dual 4.5-inch woofers, two 18mm custom tweeters), the Max will come with streaming services YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Pandora and Spotify baked inside.

Proprietary apps may be the next front in the continuing marketplace melee between the Mighty Tech Brands. Earlier this month, Google yanked YouTube from Echo Show Amazon Fire devices (effective Jan. 1), in response to Amazon’s refusal to sell Google and Google-adjacent products like Home, Chromecast, and Nest. While the move may compel Amazon to expand their store offerings, it could also serve as an enticement to purchase a Home product over an Echo—and may be a sign of things to come.

The Google Home Max is available for $399.