Apple Announces New HomePod for $299 With Full-Size Design, S7 Chip, and More

[AppleUser2]

So it’s exactly the same but with an updated chip? No removable power cord? No aux input? Wut?

Did I miss something?

Looks like it can read the temperature but apart from that and the chip nothing. How do Apple think this will succeed?

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

It's nice that they dropped the price a little, but it's still too much $ for a single speaker—I don't care what else it does.

Price was $299 before they discontinued it. How did they drop the price?

I recall it costing €299 before it was discontinued in Europe. It's now €349

 

[makingmark]

I don't think it's over-priced - it's under-abled. A $100 premium over Sonos One is fair for the combo of sound quality + Apple eco-system. However, I think it still doesn't let you use voice control with YouTube Music or Spotify? Plus Siri's low IQ? No deal.

 

[Krypton Deer]

Interesting, so it sounds better and comes in white.?

I have a single 1st gen but guess it won’t sound balanced if I make it a 1st+2nd gen pair

 

[thadoggfather]

In a board meeting:
’why didn’t HomePod sell?’

No one:
’$50 too high, let’s change very little and roll it out again at the magical $299 point, that should do it’

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

the killer upgrade would be able to use it as a speaker sans any of this smart crap. Let to have speaker wire inputs and mounts for a nice set of bookshelf speakers

I know it's not the same as what you're describing, but utilising the ARC function in the second and third-gen Apple TV 4K can provide additional flexibility. I can route my PS5 and Xbox Series S audio through them and it works a treat.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Looks like it can read the temperature but apart from that and the chip nothing. How do Apple think this will succeed?

Quite odd and feature bare for a product that went off the market a few years back. It's not even clear if it has a new chip, which would be expected after all this time—so even if it did that's just a given. Seems like it just got a temperature sensor added/activated. Very odd release.

The press release should have just said: 'We heard some of you still want this thing: here"

 

[pauloregan]

Is an Airplay speaker, what was everyone expecting it to do?

 

[Harrycooke]

Price was $299 before they discontinued it. How did they drop the price?

I recall it costing €299 before it was discontinued in Europe. It's now €349

Yeah in the U.K., it was £279 iirc.

 

[Phineasgage1848]

I was just watching the Video and other than new Chip and some seamless new threads in Midnight (not sure if that is really new) it seems the same basic thing. odd. I was hoping if there was an update it would be SOMETHING else a bit more

Looks like it has five tweeters now, down from seven in the original HomePod?

 

[Dicx]

Still waiting for a screen to show iCloud Photos so I can drop Amazon. Google screens not very big.

 

[abrooks]

Why not enable a 5.1 HomePod Cinema setup Apple? C’mon, it’s 2023!

The clue might be in the name, you require 5 speakers and one subwoofer.

 

[MGrayson3]

No Alexa? I'm sold!

 

[russell_314]

Wait, how is this not bigger news??

 

[les_is_more]

I think the old one has a 7-tweeter array but the new one only have 5. The woofer is possibly also smaller. But the cool thing is that the new one has temperature and humidity sensor.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

It's nice that they dropped the price a little, but it's still too much $ for a single speaker—I don't care what else it does.

Wouldn't it be great if they offered a shipped pair at a reduced price. Say, $499 for two.

Revision Edit: they don't even have to pkg it as a pair. A gift card model for the second one, as they've recently done on many products, would probably work just as effectively.

 

[gank41]

It’s basically the exact same and still over priced, apple what’s the point? It should be 200 tops

Apparently it's got less speakers, so not quite the same. Curious to see folks compare the OG model to this one...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1615714006181838849

 

[wwinter86]

OMG yes! 🥰

 

[N1jl]

I've no idea what they've just announced but my 3 existing HomePods do everything anyway. What is this nonsense?

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

The clue might be in the name, you require 5 speakers and one subwoofer.

The center HomePod can function as a sub as well. They go plentiful low.

 

[NightFox]

Temperature and humidity​

With its built-in sensor, HomePod can detect and tell you the temperature and humidity of the room.
And you can set it in automations so the blinds close if the temperature hits 80 degrees.

*requires a working Homekit framework.

 

[Falhófnir]

So we're getting another week of releases? 😃

 

[abrooks]

Interesting, so it sounds better and comes in white.?

I have a single 1st gen but guess it won’t sound balanced if I make it a 1st+2nd gen pair

From Apple: "Creating a HomePod stereo pair requires two of the same model HomePod speakers, such as two HomePod mini, two HomePod (2nd generation) or two HomePod (1st generation)."

1st gen HomePod came in white too.

 

[trhoffmann]

Apple should offer a pair of new HomePods for $499.

 

[The Phazer]

I await Apple's re-release of a mostly unaltered G4 Cube at full price.