The original HomePod’s demise is a slow and sad one (despite appreciating value)

The original HomePod was released by Apple back in 2018 and was ultimately discontinued in March of this year. Now, it’s dying a very slow and very sad death, and I’m starting to wonder if we (or Apple?) might have taken it for granted all along. Hear me out on this one.

Rocky from the start

The HomePod’s launch was rocky from the start. It was announced at WWDC in 2017 with a $350 price tag and a promise of “reinventing home music.”

Apple claimed that the smart speaker would become available later in the year. However, that did not happen. Instead, Apple delayed the HomePod’s release to early 2018, saying at the time that it simply needed “a little more time” to get the smart speaker ready for its big launch.

Apple ultimately released the HomePod to the public on January 26, available in space gray and white for $349. The drama didn’t end there, however. Just over a year later, in April of 2019, Apple did something it very rarely does: it cut the HomePod’s price by $50, giving it a new starting price of $299 in the United States and other countries.

In April 2020, Apple ran a rare promotion exclusively for employees, offering HomePod for $149 in what was viewed as a fire sale at the time. Less than a year later, Apple announced that HomePod was being discontinued, saying in a statement that it was refocusing its efforts on the $99 HomePod mini instead.

A slow, painful death

But the HomePod’s death was not immediate. It lingered in Apple Stores and via the Apple Online Store for several months before ultimately being removed once stock was exhausted. Now, users of the original HomePod are living in a sort-of void, using a speaker that once sold for $349 and is powered by a processor that was first used in the iPhone 6 from 2014.

The HomePod sound quality is still excellent today, but that A8 processor inside shows its age when it comes to things like Siri requests, HomeKit control, and AirPlay playback with multiple speakers.

Furthermore, during the last several months, we’ve seen a growing number of reports of HomePod units failing completely, with a so-called “popping” sound now infamous among users. Your HomePod may be about to die if it starts making loud popping sounds.

And if your original HomePod fails, you won’t have a replacement. It might seem like you could find a HomePod at a low price on eBay. Nope. For a new (and sometimes even a used) HomePod on eBay, you’re looking at a price tag in the ballpark of $500.

Sonos makes some compelling smart speaker options, but they’re different than the original HomePod and lack key features such as deep Apple TV integration. The HomePod mini is an excellent option for Apple lovers, however it doesn’t have the same sound quality as the original HomePod.

HomePod’s future

What does the future hold for the HomePod? Bloomberg has reported that Apple is working on additional HomePod form factors, including a connected TV box with an integrated HomePod speaker and FaceTime camera.

Apple may also be considering smart speakers with touch screens, like the Amazon products. These products do not sound like an upgrade to the HomePod with its immersive sound and room-filling audio quality.

Three years later, I’m starting to wonder if we might have taken the original HomePod for granted. Although it was niche, the product served an important purpose.

In an ideal world, there’s a new HomePod on the way that’s similar to the original model, but with a $249 price tag, a faster processor inside, and better reliability. Whether or not that turns out to be the case, however, remains to be seen.

Read more:

• Comment: The state of Apple TV and end of HomePod warrants a Home strategy roundtable
• Opinion: HomePod delay coupled with new competition amplifies Apple’s smart speaker challenge
• HomePod sales get 180% boost, but a new model ‘may be needed’

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