Apple discontinues the original HomePod, only available while supplies last
- Similar to the recently discontinued iMac Pro, HomePod will be available until stock runs out.
- However, the product will still be eligible for software updates and Apple Care support.
- Apple’s audio team switched their attention to the much more successful HomePod mini.
Apple has discontinued their first ever smart speaker, the HomePod, which debuted on June 5, 2017. With the deliverance of punchy, powerful and room filling sound in a compact size, this much-anticipated device was a wonder of engineering. To top it off, Siri brought a whole new deck of smart features to the table, such as HomeKit automations, smart Apple Music recommendations, the ability to set reminders, calendar events and alarms with just the user’s voice. You can even make phone calls even while the paired iPhone was in another room.
Why?
Apple’s recent announcement shows that the product wasn’t able to reach their high expectations. This may be due to many reasons, but here are some known ones.
- The price: The $349 HomePod competed in a market mainly dominated by Google and Amazon. The products offered by these companies don’t cost more than $99 — and are often bundled with other products or services, sometimes even for free. This became the go-to option for most customers, despite the lack of top-tier audio quality which the HomePod touted as its main selling point.
- Siri: Apple’s virtual assistant offered many features people wouldn’t expect from a normal speaker — but it was severely lacking in features compared to its main competitors: Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. This is mainly due to Apple’s privacy centric features, which hindered the development of more advanced, personalized featureset for Siri.
- Connectivity: The HomePod was one of the best sounding smart speakers ever, way more than what most people expected from a smart speaker. However, it lacked a 3.5mm jack or USB-C connector. This means that the only way to stream content to it was through AirPlay. This was very convenient for many, but it completely hindered the ability for Pros to use it as a dedicated speaker, due to the latency that its WiFi had.
These main factors made it a niche product, overkill for most people, and not good enough for pros.
It's not the first time this has happened...
This is not the first time the company has made such a move. Back in February 28 2006, Apple released the ‘iPod HiFi,’ a high fidelity speaker manufactured exclusively for the iPod.
While it had award-winning sound quality for its size, it suffered from the same $349 price tag — making it way too expensive for average buyers. Additionally, its iPod-accessory like nature made it unsuitable for pro customers in a similar way to the HomePod. All this sadly led to its short lifespan and eventual discontinuation on September 5, 2007.
Nevertheless, the HomePod lineup lives on, as Apple announced they’ll now switch their attention to the HomePod mini, which has proven to be a smash hit for Apple. This has been mainly due to its eye catching design and highly competitive $99 price tag. The smart speaker contains all the smart features and more than what the $299 HomePod had to offer, but in a more compact size.
HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control all for just $99. We are focusing our efforts on HomePod mini. We are discontinuing the original HomePod, however, it will continue to be available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and Apple Authorised Resellers. Apple will provide HomePod customers with software updates and service and support through Apple Care. — Statement from Apple
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