(San Francisco)

Apple debuted its most important product in years just a few months ago—the iPhone X, but it may be closing in on what could not only be a great new product, but a new segment. That new device would be Apple’s version of the smart speaker business led by Amazon’s Echo and Google’s devices. Apple’s version is called the HomePod, and had its debut delayed from late last year to early this year, missing the holiday season. Of course, the device itself may be secondary the the digital personal assistant system, in Apple’s case Siri, as it is this bit of software which keeps users in the company’s ecosystem, which means higher spending.

FINSUM: The devices are merely vehicles for the digital assistants, which are in turn genius products for keeping consumers spending on services.