Apple would be original HomePod smart speaker that the company focuses on the HomePod mini, its smaller and cheaper brother.
TechCrunch reported Friday confirmation from Apple that it is shelving the HomePod just a few years after its initial launch. Reviews weren’t child when Apple’s voice-activated smart speaker first hit shelves in 2018. Critics argued that the admittedly high-quality sound wasn’t worth dealing with Apple’s walled garden and its hefty $ 349 price tag, which is far more expensive than Amazon’s Echo or Google’s Nest line of smart speakers. As if that wasn’t enough, the HomePod also had a bizarre tendency to stain people’s furnitureApple lowered the price to $ 299 a year later, but that apparently wasn’t enough to save it, as Apple is now putting the HomePod in the meadow.
The HomePod Mini, on the other hand, received a much warmer reception. This smaller version of Apple’s first-generation smart speakers launched in November with a price tag of $ 99 – still more expensive than its small competitors, the Echo Dot or Nest Mini, but on par with Amazon and Google’s mid-tier options. . At the time, we called the HomePod Mini “a solid little speaker” and “the perfect complementary device” for people embracing the Apple smart home ecosystem.
In a statement to multiple outletsApple said the HomePod Mini has been “a hit” since its debut, so much so that the company chose to focus solely on the smallest speaker.
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If you currently own an OG HomePod, don’t worry – Apple confirmed software updates and technical support will continue for those already in the market. Existing units will also remain available “while supplies last,” although the Space Gray option appears to be already sold out Apple’s website
You can read Apple’s statement in full below:
HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers great sound, an intelligent assistant and smart home control for just $ 99. We’re focusing our efforts on HomePod mini. We are discontinuing the original HomePod, which will remain available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Apple provides HomePod customers with software updates and service and support through Apple Care.
The original HomePod isn’t the only product making its way to Apple’s graveyard this month. Last week, Apple announced it would stop the iMac Pro, its $ 5,000 workstation after only four years on the market.