Apple has announced today that HomePod will be available in China starting on Friday, January 18th. Apple teased last month that HomePod was coming to China in “early 2019,” but now we have an official release date.

In a press release, Apple said HomePod launches in mainland China and Hong Kong on Friday, January 18th. It will be available in white and space gray, much like in other countries.

Phil Schiller touted that Apple is “excited to bring HomePod” to users in China:

“HomePod is the perfect wireless speaker for music lovers. It delivers an unmatched music listening experience with high-fidelity sound wherever it is placed and creates a new way to discover and interact with music using Siri,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

“We’re excited to bring HomePod to our customers in mainland China and Hong Kong markets. We can’t wait for them to experience how great it sounds in their home, we think they are going to love it.”

Apple also touts integration with Apple Music’s “New Artist of the Week” feature in China, which highlights up and coming artists each week. The company also points to curated playlists like Mandopop and Cantopop being available via HomePod in China.

The press release makes a specific call out to privacy, with Apple saying “security and privacy are fundamental to the design of Apple hardware, software and services.”

With a launch in China, HomePod will be available in 9 countries. In addition to China, HomePod is available in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, and Spain.

Notably, Amazon’s Echo line of accessories is not officially available in China, giving Apple a leg-up on the competition there. In China, HomePod will be available for RMB 2,799. 

Source: 9to5mac