Apple retail stores worldwide are seeing low stock levels for the full-sized HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV set-top box. Low inventory often signals that refreshed models are incoming, though we shouldn’t rush to assumptions just yet.
Reports indicate Apple has had updated versions of the Apple TV and HomePod mini prepared since last year, but the company has delayed their release to align with the rollout of an enhanced Siri and other Apple Intelligence features.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
Those features are still nowhere near ready, so if the new hardware is indeed coming soon, it probably means Apple just got tired of waiting. (Though the AI features are essential to a separate long-awaited home hub, they’re just a nice add-on for the HomePods and Apple TV.)
The full-sized HomePod, updated more recently than the HomePod mini, has seen inventory decline at some physical stores but is still widely available from Apple’s website. The Apple TV appears to have the best stock of all three products based on checks of the company’s website. The HomePod mini, on the other hand, is hard to find right now at brick-and-mortar locations. And customers trying to order from Apple’s website are seeing shipping delays until early next month — a notable development.
MacDailyNews Take: Siri hasn’t ever worked very well, so just release them anyway.
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No, I can’t take any more of Siri’s dumbassery. Like AAPL’s new curser design (circa ’17), Siri has hindered productivity and increased frustration. Make her finely attuned, or fire.
(Am I the only one that finds the iOS curser deficient? It seems like it has built-in magnets pushing it to rest outside intended drop-spot.)