Apple HomePod's high price seems to be hurting its sales in the US: Report

Priced at $349, the Apple **HomePod** is yet to reach Indian shores and even if it did, it still may be too expensive for it to become an instant hit among users. A market research report suggests that the HomePod is not selling too well in the US either. [caption id=“attachment_4885871” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] Apple HomePod[/caption] As per research conducted by Chicago-based, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), HomePod sales currently fall somewhere near the 3 million unit range, which gives Apple a mere 6 percent share of the US market. Apple’s delay in entering the smart speaker market has clearly hurt them. Findings from the report published suggest that Amazon with its Echo lineup held a massive 70 percent of the smart speaker market in the US by the end of June, followed by Google with 24 percent. Aside from the delay, the price of the HomePod and Apple’s decision to launch just one premium variant of the smart speaker seems to be the reason behind its poor showing. In comparison, both Amazon and Google offer a range of speakers, with prices starting as low as $50. As pointed out by CNET, Apple could grab a larger share with time as its product is relatively new in comparison to Amazon’s Echo range which started selling in 2014 and Google’s Home range launched in 2016. However, Apple should consider launching a few smaller, cheaper variants of the HomePod if it plans to grab a larger chunk of the market from Amazon and Google.