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Apple recently started selling refurbished second-generation HomePod models for the first time in select countries, including the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and others. Availability has yet to expand to the U.S., but the product listing is already visible.

HomePod-2-White-and-Midnight-Feature-Blue-Orange.jpg

Prices are discounted by approximately 15% compared to a brand new HomePod. In the U.K., for example, a refurbished HomePod costs £249, down from £299. In the U.S., a refurbished HomePod will cost $249, down from $299.

Apple says its certified refurbished HomePods undergo full functionality testing, and they are inspected, cleaned, and repackaged in a plain white box with the power cord and documentation. The refurbished HomePods are covered by Apple's limited one-year warranty policy, and they are eligible for extended AppleCare+ coverage.

Released in January 2023, the second-generation HomePod has a similar design as the original HomePod that was discontinued in 2021, but with a larger backlit touch surface, two fewer tweeters, two fewer microphones, and a few other changes. For more details about the speaker, read our HomePod roundup.

Article Link: Apple Begins Selling Refurbished 2023 HomePod in Select Countries
 
In my 73 years I’ve been burned several times by “open box”, “refurbished”, “used” products including automobiles. We only buy new automobiles at this point in life as we don’t want to inherit the problems and abuse of prior owners. I only buy my Apple gear directly from Apple (store or online) and don't mind paying the extra dollars for peace of mind. But that’s just me.
 
In my 73 years I’ve been burned several times by “open box”, “refurbished”, “used” products including automobiles. We only buy new automobiles at this point in life as we don’t want to inherit the problems and abuse of prior owners. I only buy my Apple gear directly from Apple (store or online) and don't mind paying the extra dollars for peace of mind. But that’s just me.

In my 73 years I’ve been burned several times by “open box”, “refurbished”, “used” products including automobiles. We only buy new automobiles at this point in life as we don’t want to inherit the problems and abuse of prior owners. I only buy my Apple gear directly from Apple (store or online) and don't mind paying the extra dollars for peace of mind. But that’s just me.
Have you ever been burned by apple refurbished? I’ve bought many things and had no issues.
 
In my 73 years I’ve been burned several times by “open box”, “refurbished”, “used” products including automobiles. We only buy new automobiles at this point in life as we don’t want to inherit the problems and abuse of prior owners. I only buy my Apple gear directly from Apple (store or online) and don't mind paying the extra dollars for peace of mind. But that’s just me.
We share similar thoughts. Apple Refurbished is where we differ. Solid quality, like new, and you can get Apple care on it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy something from the Apple Refurbished Store.

P.S. I would never buy a used car or a used house.
 
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Reminds me that I prefer the full 'seed-pod' look of the OG HomePod. Looks like some Human/Na'vi hybrid tech from Pandora, especially when Siri's aglow…
 
So a €50 discount but only 1 year warranty instead of 2. I’m not getting excited.
 
In my 73 years I’ve been burned several times by “open box”, “refurbished”, “used” products including automobiles. We only buy new automobiles at this point in life as we don’t want to inherit the problems and abuse of prior owners. I only buy my Apple gear directly from Apple (store or online) and don't mind paying the extra dollars for peace of mind. But that’s just me.
For cars I completely agree and the only open items I get are either from Best Buy or the Apple Store because one can get Apple care on them.
 
I sure hope Apple gets their act together with these HomePods. I have two OGs, two new large HomePods and 4 HomePod Minis. Siri is flippin' stupid. Even my wife, who doesn't pay a lot of attention to tech, is frustrated beyond belief. You ask Siri to play music, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You ask Siri to play your favorites and she can't. Once music is playing, it often stops for no reason after 5, 10, 20 minutes. I was cooking last night and wanted to turn down the music volume. I said "Siri, volume down." Siri replied "I'll speak softer." Apple, when someone is listening to music and they say "Siri, volume down" don't you think that in probably 99.9% of the cases they mean the music volume level and not how loudly Siri speaks??? WTF. The friction with this solution is unbearable sometimes!!! I know we are long past the "What would Steve do" phase, but I have to believe if he were still alive, we wouldn't be in such a miserable state with Siri on HomePods. I wish some Apple leader would step up and fix this mess once and for all!
 
We share similar thoughts. Apple Refurbished is where we differ. Solid quality, like new, and you can get Apple care on it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy something from the Apple Refurbished Store.

P.S. I would never buy a used car or a used house.
A used house? In many cases older houses were built better than the ones built today.
 
Three questions :
1. What is the latency like on the Mac ?
2. Can we use the mic for a Teams audio call ?
3. Can we use dual HomePods on the Mac ?

I tried my HomePod 1 a few weeks ago and it really wasn't made for this usage. Lots of latency, and mic unavailable.
 
I sure hope Apple gets their act together with these HomePods. I have two OGs, two new large HomePods and 4 HomePod Minis. Siri is flippin' stupid. Even my wife, who doesn't pay a lot of attention to tech, is frustrated beyond belief. You ask Siri to play music, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You ask Siri to play your favorites and she can't. Once music is playing, it often stops for no reason after 5, 10, 20 minutes. I was cooking last night and wanted to turn down the music volume. I said "Siri, volume down." Siri replied "I'll speak softer." Apple, when someone is listening to music and they say "Siri, volume down" don't you think that in probably 99.9% of the cases they mean the music volume level and not how loudly Siri speaks??? WTF. The friction with this solution is unbearable sometimes!!! I know we are long past the "What would Steve do" phase, but I have to believe if he were still alive, we wouldn't be in such a miserable state with Siri on HomePods. I wish some Apple leader would step up and fix this mess once and for all!

I have seven HomePods; 5 OG and 2 Mini. Using them everyday, all work great and sound superb.

Try a Genius Bar appointment for some tips on using yours.
 
I just tried the HomePod minis stereo configuration but set up was a real pain being that my only Internet is hotspot, I eventually got it working but I think the Apple TV is downloading to three devices so I used 10 GB just to set up two speakers.
Didn't work very well with my Internet and of course they are not Bluetooth speakers.
Ended up returning it for my money back. :rolleyes:
 
I have seven HomePods; 5 OG and 2 Mini. Using them everyday, all work great and sound superb.

Try a Genius Bar appointment for some tips on using yours.
Ummm yeah, glad they work well for you. I am an expert at resetting my HomePods at this point. Audio is superb - Siri integration sucks.
 
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A used house? In many cases older houses were built better than the ones built today.
Not built better, they used stronger materials than some today. But a house is made with materials that break down over time like everything else, and an older home wouldn’t pass modern safety building codes without costly updates.
 
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I'll wait until a newer HomePod supports wifi 6/7 and maybe more internal speakers like the original one.
 
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