Apple discontinues HomePod

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Yup. Will now only sell the Mini. WTF? Glad I got 2 when I did. Haven’t tried the Mini but I can’t imagine it puts out as much sound as the original.

I predict Apple will release a sub woofer and market the Minis as satellite speakers for surround coming at you from as many directions as you have speakers for, all communicating with each other for optimum sound in any space configuration.

 

[JayMysteri0]

Yup. Will now only sell the Mini. WTF? Glad I got 2 when I did. Haven’t tried the Mini but I can’t imagine it puts out as much sound as the original.

I predict Apple will release a sub woofer and market the Minis as satellite speakers for surround coming at you from as many directions as you have speakers for, all communicating with each other for optimum sound in any space configuration.

The Homepod's issue was always the price. That sticker shock was too much to overcome, for a product many ( Siri ) didn't feel justify the price.

Once you are in that price range, you are making aspirational items. The Airpods Max show that, for aspirational items the demand increases. Especially if it's an aspirational item that can be shown off.

The Homepod had a price tag where it was expected to deliver a certain expectation, and couldn't. Siri is important for a smart speaker, it just isn't smart enough or capable at that time, combine with gated environment, and there are smarter speakers.

 

[SuperMatt]

I think the HomePod was expensive to make so lowering the price wasn’t going to be feasible. The full-sized HomePod seemed like it was trying to compete with products from Sonos or Bowers & Wilkins or Devialet... but then also trying to compete with Amazon Echo. It sounds way better than the Echo, but costs a lot more... and people that want fancy speakers were more likely to with the well-known names like those I mentioned. Of course, if Apple wasn’t a trillion-dollar company, HomePod sales would be more than a drop in the bucket, and they might keep it around... With the HomePod mini, they are declaring outright that they are competing with the cheap “smart speaker” category.

 

[JayMysteri0]

I think the HomePod was expensive to make so lowering the price wasn’t going to be feasible. The full-sized HomePod seemed like it was trying to compete with products from Sonos or Bowers & Wilkins or Devialet... but then also trying to compete with Amazon Echo. It sounds way better than the Echo, but costs a lot more... and people that want fancy speakers were more likely to with the well-known names like those I mentioned. Of course, if Apple wasn’t a trillion-dollar company, HomePod sales would be more than a drop in the bucket, and they might keep it around... With the HomePod mini, they are declaring outright that they are competing with the cheap “smart speaker” category.

Exactly. At that price the Homepod needed to do more of what comparable brands could do with Alexa.

My original issue with a Homepod that I really wanted to try, was that it wouldn't just act like a bluetooth speaker to my Mac originally. Instead the focus initially seemed to be promoting Apple Music, and running off of an iPhone. On my Mac I have music that I have added to itunes from external sources. Some of which isn't on my iPhone. Which means I couldn't hear it on the Homepod, unless I had taken another additional step and gotten iTunes Match. Originally it also didn't play all of the other music streaming services.

It just came across as and expensive intentionally handicapped device, that one paid for the privilege of listening to your gated content.

On the flip side, similarly priced Beats just play music from any source not caring. You don't even need an iPhone to activate. Also Siri is somewhat ( I don't think I ever actually used Siri on my Beats ) secondary. On the Homepod Apple advertised the importance of Siri, when it couldn't even open up certain apps you may want to use on the Homepod. I don't think even the advertised connected speakers ability worked at the time of sale. It all just seemed so half assed thought of for Apple, then just as quickly forgotten when Apple's name alone wasn't enough to drive sales.

They need a coherent strategy for the Homepod, that people actually have a need for. If it's a smart speaker, make Siri more smarter & more useful in that format. Otherwise just promote it as a quality home speaker that works more universally, that Siri also happens to be on.

 

[fooferdoggie]

we keep hearing how siri will improve with the next OS update and never does. if anything it has gotten dumber. my blind wife fights with all electronics and siri drives her nuts. well so does alexa and google too.

 

[Joe]

I'm too cheap for it. I bought a portable Bose bluetooth speaker for like $200 that I can easily move around the house depending on where I want to listen to music.

For example, I cleaned my garage this weekend and I had the little speaker playing music while I organized and cleaned. The HomePod looked too big and bulky for my use case.

 

[shadow puppet]

I have one of those portable Bose speakers. Love that I can easily bring it outside. The dog seems to also enjoy tunes during bath time.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I don't really do the personal assistant aspect of any devices. I find they don't work at all or correctly more often than they do. Plus in general I'm fairly quiet so yelling at an inanimate object doesn't really appeal to me. I find it disturbing when I see people asking their device to do something and when it doesn't do it they are completely at a loss for an alternative to use, as if tapping on things or typing are some prehistoric skillset.

I got my 2 HomePods on sale and at different times. I was more interested in the speaker and mic array to optimize the sound regardless of where you place them. Currently I have them stereo paired under my bedroom TV most often used when watching movies on the Apple TV.

I agree it's beyond annoying that they don't work like bluetooth speakers and if you don't have them connected to a wifi router then they are basically paperweights.

 

[fooferdoggie]

we have sonos it worked so well for my wife. one app all or msot of her music sources in one app it was so much less work for her.

 

[Eric]

They came into this game way too late at a price that was frankly outrageous. It catered to a specific high end audience and it's no surprise that it didn't appeal to the masses, Apple is a monster in the tech game but they also need to learn to stay in their lane.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

They came into this game way too late at a price that was frankly outrageous. It catered to a specific high end audience and it's no surprise that it didn't appeal to the masses, Apple is a monster in the tech game but they also need to learn to stay in their lane.

I think they went even more delusionally extreme with the AirPod Max. The average consumer isn't going to drop that much on headphones and audiophiles who would drop that much (or more) would go with some manufacturer other than Apple.

I don't regret getting my HomePods, but was thinking there would be some future roadmap features ahead for them. The fact that they just dropped them and are focusing on the mini either tells me they didn't know what they were doing before or they don't know what they are doing now.

They also recently killed the iMac Pro, another short-lived expensive product. I suggest people pay attention to things like this if Apple continues with their idiotic idea of entering the car market. Who wants to invest in a car that is going to be discontinued in a couple years?

They're starting to feel like a rich boys club that has unlimited cash and R&D access and now will just throw that at anything they might minusculey improve upon from what is already out there.

 

[JayMysteri0]

I think they went even more delusionally extreme with the AirPod Max. The average consumer isn't going to drop that much on headphones and audiophiles who would drop that much (or more) would go with some manufacturer other than Apple.

I don't regret getting my HomePods, but was thinking there would be some future roadmap features ahead for them. The fact that they just dropped them and are focusing on the mini either tells me they didn't know what they were doing before or they don't know what they are doing now.

They also recently killed the iMac Pro, another short-lived expensive product. I suggest people pay attention to things like this if Apple continues with their idiotic idea of entering the car market. Who wants to invest in a car that is going to be discontinued in a couple years?

They're starting to feel like a rich boys club that has unlimited cash and R&D access and now will just throw that at anything they might minusculey improve upon from what is already out there.

I disagree on the Airpods Max. ( Disclaimer: I do own an open box pair that came with a nice discount )

The fact that Airpods Max are another item that was being scalped along with PS5, Xbox, and gym equipment shows there was demand of late. Not counting the lenghty order times if you try to order from Apple direct.

I think were Apple doesn't accept the truth is that they make "aspirational items", and those are items that require the public to want to be seen with them. Thus the success of Apple watches & the fandom with their bands. The success of Beats before them, despite the tears & venom of audiophiles. And of course, the high end iPhone Pro/Max/Ultimate/Pinnacle edition or whatever. With Apple products there's a certain amount of superficiality that helps drive sales. Technically your Macbooks & iPads even count, since people love being seen in coffee shops with them.

Honestly though, I still have NOT seen someone outdoors with a pair of Airpods Max. I know I certainly won't be going out with them, unless I found myself on a plane sometime.

No one is seeing that set up of Homepods, so there is less to impress. After spending for that iPhone & Beats, some will always go with a cheaper product in the house that just works.

Apple products are "flex" products as well as good products. It's of late when they make a product that people can "flex" with, that you see those "Apple fanboy" sales numbers.

I believe.

 

[Runs For Fun]

The price tag was definitely a problem. I will say the sound quality is quite amazing though. I don’t know if I would have paid full price for one though. They were often on sale for $199 which is much more reasonable and I got mine when I found one of those sales. I am kind of disappointed that now there is no high quality sound option as the HomePod sounds way better than the Mini.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I don't really do the personal assistant aspect of any devices. I find they don't work at all or correctly more often than they do. Plus in general I'm fairly quiet so yelling at an inanimate object doesn't really appeal to me. I find it disturbing when I see people asking their device to do something and when it doesn't do it they are completely at a loss for an alternative to use, as if tapping on things or typing are some prehistoric skillset.

you should see my wife argue with her devices. sir Alexa and google all get hollered at. but even when she is using it with VoiceOver she argues with them. her and tech are in constant battle.