Instead, Apple will be pouring its energies into the smaller, much more affordable HomePod mini, priced at just $99. Apple will continue selling the full-size HomePod while supplies last. The company will also continue to provide service and support to HomePod customers.
HomePod Is No More
Earlier this week, the Space Gray version of the HomePod became unavailable for purchase and delivery from Apple in the United States. Watchers suspected that this could indicate an imminent product refresh, but the product has been officially end-of-lifed now.
The company has confirmed the move in a statement to TechCrunch:
And with that in mind, Apple no longer has a high-quality audio home speaker.
The full-size HomePod launched at $349 three years ago, instantly becoming the most expensive smart speaker with an embedded digital assistant. Despite the excellent sound, the Siri speaker was heavily criticized for its high price tag.
In terms of sound quality, the HomePod is a feat of audio engineering. The speaker packs in seven tweeters in the base along with a four-inch woofer towards the top. It leverages computational audio and Apple’s custom silicon to provide acoustic optimization in real-time and features like pairing two speakers to create a stereo pair.
HomePod Mini Saves the Day
It also sports one feature the original lacks: Apple’s U1 chip for spatial awareness, letting the HomePod mini sense its location in the room. In addition, the U1 powers a more seamless transfer of music, calls, and podcasts between the HomePod mini and newer iPhones.
Remember the iPod Hi-Fi?
Just like the original HomePod, the HomePod mini requires an Apple device to set up, configure and use. Neither HomePod model doubles as a regular Bluetooth speaker, meaning it doesn’t work on Windows, Android, and other non-Apple platforms.
This isn’t the only Apple speaker that crashed and burned soon after launch. Back in February 2006, Apple released the iPod Hi-Fi speaker system that featured iPod docking and high-quality sound. It was sold through Apple’s stores, but people balked at its $349 price tag so Apple discontinued the iPod Hi-Fi less than two years later in September 2007.
