Apple’s HomePod was of course an amazing device in terms of acoustic performance, but its $ 349 price, not to mention a debut that was delayed until early 2018, prevented it from really having an impact on the smart speaker market. So while the HomePod sounded amazing due to some magic from Apple’s audio engineering, it ultimately failed to gain a significant share of the market from rivals like Amazon and Google
And so, about three years after its launch, Apple over the weekend suspended the HomePod. TechCrunch gave the news on Friday and conveyed that Apple will still manufacture the HomePod mini and repeat it on the device in the future.
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While Apple’s decision here may be a blow to audiophiles looking for a device capable of breaking the bank, the simple reality is that most consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for a smart sound speaker. superior when you can get a perfectly useful Amazon Echo for $ 99. Historically, Apple has been able to get a premium for late-marketed devices by focusing on a first-class user experience. However, the HomePod did not resonate with consumers in a significant way.
By the way, Apple would end up lowering the price of the HomePod to $ 299 in April 2019, but many considered the move as too little and too late.
Another factor that contributed to the demise of the HomePod is that Siri simply could not compete with the range of features that could be found with similar smart speakers from Google and Amazon. Another problem potential buyers had was that the HomePod did not support Spotify, the most popular music streaming service on the planet. Naturally, Apple wanted close integration with Apple Music, but its effort to keep Spotify off the field certainly cost it some sales.
Apple will continue to sell existing HomePods that it already has in inventory, but no new devices will be manufactured in the future.
Commenting on the matter, Apple provided the following statement to TechCrunch:
HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers incredible sound, a smart assistant and smart home control all for just $ 99. We are focusing our efforts on HomePod mini. We are no longer producing the original HomePod, which will continue to be available until supplies run out of Apple’s online store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple’s authorized resellers. Apple will provide HomePod customers with software, service, and support updates through Apple Care.
Apple’s HomePod mini has many of the same shortcomings as its larger predecessor, but the $ 99 device price makes it much easier to overlook these shortcomings. And while the sound quality of the HomePod mini isn’t as great as you’d get with the original HomePod, the fact is that most consumers aren’t audiophiles and probably can’t differentiate much.
Apple never released specific sales figures for the HomePod, but we have to imagine that sales were incredibly low for a product to be produced that reportedly would take more than five years to develop.
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A lifelong Mac user and Apple enthusiast, Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry in general for over 6 years. His writings have appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK and, more recently, in TUAW. When not writing or analyzing recent events with Apple, Yoni enjoys taking Improv programs in Chicago, playing football, and cultivating new addictions to television shows, the most recent examples being The Walking Dead and Broad City.