Apple’s HomePod usually retails for $299 for customers, but Apple retail and corporate employees can purchase a HomePod right now at a nice discount: half price or $149.50. It is possible that Apple is trying to reduce inventory of the HomePod ahead of a rumored product update.
Although the HomePod is widely praised for its sound quality, its high price relative to the smart speaker market has meant it has not been a mainstream success.
In fact, it seems like the HomePod inventory has been hard to shift for a while. It is still possible to walk into a retail store and pick up a HomePod that was manufactured in early 2019, or perhaps even late 2018… Analysts estimate Apple has sold around 5-10 million HomePod units since the product launched.
As recently as last week, Apple was reported to be working on new HomePod models to launch as soon as this year.
MacDailyNews Take: Well, with this internal HomePod discount, here’s hoping that a lower-priced HomePod does rear its pretty head as we’re fairly starving for some news out of Apple with “iPhone SE (2020)” looming, but seemingly never arriving. It’s a shame that more people haven’t experienced HomePod in all of it’s glory because it truly is an excellent product, worth every penny and then some even at full price!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Our HomePod turned out to be a complete shitshow, Siri enabling when not invoked, delayed responses, having to repeat request multiple times… this is the one Apple product I’ll never buy again…my opinion get a Tivoli Radio.
Why don’t you factory reset it
Here is the process to factory reset it:
1: Put homepod back in its box
2: Send homepod back to the store you bought it
3: Use the refund on something that just works
4: (optional) go to Apple website and explain in detail your experience
Apple isn’t the company it was only a decade ago.
How is Apple going to sell a HomePod to me if it isn’t even for sale in my country?
By osmosis, of course
Pete, you aren’t missing anything. Homepod is a poor attempt at an Apple Music subscription supported appliance.
Try this instead:
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/contents/audio_visual/musiccast/index.html
Agreed with the above comments about Siri. Siri is pointless. It’s better to have a display, proper controls, and wired connections. I drive wireless audio around most rooms in our house with a Mac. To set up the same thing with Homepods would be agony.
Sound quality is great but that’s where the praise ends. The Homepod doesn’t play well with my Mac, there is a terrible delay when playing audio from any source other than iTunes. When playing podcasts it also won’t mark an episode as played if it goes through the Homepod. Basically I just use it for Siri occasionally. I got it when it was $200, but for what it does it hasn’t been worth it. I might try it with another Mac eventually, but since it doesn’t work with the one I’m using, and that’s where most of my audio is output from, it’s gathering dust.
I love my HomePod sorry it sucks for those above. No complaints. Don’t use Siri much…seems kind of dum talking to an object anyway. Wouldn’t talk to google either. Love my Sonos as well
I got a HomePod a couple years ago after my father-in-law foisted an amazon Echo on my family. The sound quality is ridiculously better and Siri has gotten much better, even though i did it find it that bad to begin with. We have a fair amount of home kit gear in our home, so it is nice for that. But with 5 kids in the house 4 are girls, it gets used a fair amount.The echo- yeah… I relegated that little spy to a dark corner of the house. Little demon…