Apple Inc.’s delayed HomePod speaker will hit stores on Feb. 9, the company said Tuesday, and be available to order online beginning Jan. 26 in key markets. Apple announced the device in June and originally said that the speaker would be out in December. The company’s Tuesday release says that the HomePod uses “spatial awareness to sense its location in the room” and “automatically adjusts the audio to sound great wherever it is placed.” It will cost $349, more than the combined total of its two main rivals, the Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers. Apple is trying to catch up with Alphabet Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. , both of which have offered smart speakers for years. Sales of smart speakers jumped 237% last year, according to the Consumer Technology Association. Apple shares have gained 47% over the past 12 months, compared with a 32% rise for the Dow Jones Industrial Average .
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