Apple’s HomePod was, in every way, an incredible device in terms of acoustic performance, but its price of $ 349, not to mention a debut that was delayed until early 2018, prevented it from having a real impact on the smart speaker market. So while HomePod sounded amazing thanks to some of Apple’s audio engineering magic, it ultimately failed to garner a significant share of market share from rivals like Amazon and Google
And so, about three years after its launch, Apple gave up the HomePod over the weekend. TechCrunch announced on Friday that Apple will continue to produce the HomePod mini and iterate on the device in the future.
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While Apple’s decision here may be a blow to audiophiles looking for a capable device that won’t break the bank, the simple reality is that most consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for a smart speaker with superior sound when you can get Amazon Echo perfectly repairable for $ 99. Historically, Apple has managed to get a premium for late-launched devices, focusing on a top-notch user experience. However, HomePod has failed to resonate with consumers in a meaningful way.
Incidentally, Apple would eventually lower the price of the HomePod to $ 299 in April 2019, but the move has been seen by many as too little too late.
Another factor that contributed to the demise of HomePod is that Siri simply could not compete with the range of features you could find with similar smart speakers from Google and Amazon. Another problem that potential buyers had is that HomePod did not support Spotify, the most popular music streaming service on the planet. Apple naturally wanted a tight integration with Apple Music, but its effort to keep Spotify off the field has undoubtedly cost it some sales.
Apple will continue to sell existing HomePods that it already has in stock, but no new devices will be manufactured in the future.
Commenting on the issue, Apple provided the following statement to TechCrunch:
HomePod mini has been a success since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, a smart assistant and smart home control, for just $ 99. We focus our efforts on the HomePod mini. We stop the original HomePod, it will continue to be available until supplies are exhausted through the Apple online store, Apple Retail stores and Apple authorized dealers. Apple will provide HomePod customers with software updates, services and support 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’ll get with the original HomePod, the reality is that most consumers aren’t audiophiles and probably can’t make much of a difference.
Apple has never released specific sales figures for the HomePod, but we have to imagine that sales were incredibly low for it to have a product that should have grown over five years.
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A lifelong Mac user and passionate about Apple, Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the technology industry in general for over 6 years. His writings have appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK and, most recently, TUAW. When not writing about and analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing football and cultivating new addictions to TV shows, the latest examples being The Walking Dead and Broad City.