Apple’s HomePod is coming soon—and those who want it will need to act quickly on Friday to get their hands on the company’s smart speaker.
The tech giant on Tuesday announced that it will release the HomePod on February 9—two months after it was originally slated for release. Apple also said in a statement that it plans to make the HomePod available for pre-order on its website starting on Friday, January 26. What Apple didn’t say is how many units it’ll have available to customers and whether it expects a shortage.
Therefore, to ensure you get your hands on the HomePod and start listening to music and controlling your smart home with its built-in Siri performance on the day it’s made available, you’ll want to pre-order.
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Here’s a quick guide on how to pre-order the smart speaker on Apple’s website and mobile app on January 26:
Get Up or Stay Up
Apple didn’t say exactly when it would open pre-orders on the HomePod, but the company usually makes its system available at 12:01 a.m. PT/3:01 a.m. ET on the day it’s offering pre-orders. So, to ensure you get a HomePod on launch day, consider staying up until midnight if you’re on the West Coast or setting an alarm for early in the morning if you’re on the East Coast.
It’s possible Apple will still have units available in the morning on Friday, but if you don’t want to risk, giving up a little sleep is your only option.
Go Online
Apple will make its pre-order system available on Apple.com on Friday.
When it’s time to pre-order, simply go to the Apple HomePod page and you should see a button that says “order.” Click on that option and you’ll be taken through the process of choosing your color of choice (Space Gray or White) and opting for an AppleCare+ warranty to protect your purchase.
That page will also tell you when the HomePod will ship.
Use the App
Apple also makes its products available for pre-order on its Apple Store app. Simply boot up the app and you’ll likely see an option on the homepage to pre-order your HomePod. Go through the same process of choosing your version and deciding whether you want AppleCare+.
To make things a bit easier on mobile, Apple also lets you make purchases via Apple Pay, so you can quickly check out with its mobile payment service.
