Apple Confirms HomePod Can Leave White Rings on Wood Surfaces With Oil or Wax Finishes [Updated]

[RagingBrosGaming]

#TableRingGate

 

[hybrid_x]

Future HomePods will include an Apple coaster in the box.

 

[yesjam]

Synthetic materials placed directly on wood furniture often disrupt finishes like oil, wax, nitrocellulose, etc. This isn't an "Apple first" whatsoever.

If you have fine wood furniture you care about you should be aware of the damage plastics and other synthetics can do to its finish.

 

[apolloa]

Haha what an excellent business opportunity for HomePod accessories.. matts to stop it ruining your furniture, and Apple have admitted it?

Well I guess the upsaide is at least they are being up truthful with their customer base, but I do feel a warning would have been beneficial BEFORE it went on sale, I mean, you know, this is designed to go onto furniture.

 

[WilliamG]

This is not unique to HomePod... many, if not most, synthetic rubber bases like this will cause issues with certain oils used to protect wooden furniture.

My advice would be to use something else to protect your furniture, if you want to rest devices which have silicone bases directly on the table.

Or, like mom always said, "Use a coaster!" A disk made of thin cork or felt small enough to cover the silicone, but still be unobtrusive, would prevent the marking.

Wood is just the worst surface on the planet, aside from honed marble, - in terms of keeping it looking good. This is why everything in my house (aside from floors - which I'd prefer tile to about anything) I prefer to be quartz composite. Seriously, my last house had marble counters in the kitchen and bathrooms. WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THAT? Lesson learned - for me. Every drop of acid, every coffee ring, every damn thing damaged that surface.

And wood? Oy... you get a drip of water on it and don't notice - and then you're either sanding (if it's not oiled/waxed) or you're out of luck.

Pretty much anything can leave a ring or mark on wood, so this is not a unique situation for the HomePod. Thankfully my HomePod is sitting on my quartz kitchen counter, so not going to be an issue!

 

[mr.steevo]

It would have been interesting if the HomePod had the Apple logo on the bottom instead of a ring.

#Tim'sRing.

 

[MacStu09]

Looks like three options are available to you based on what you said

1. Since you have such a great insight into Apple business practices. You can turn this into business idea - become a founder of a startup that competes with Apple and fills the gaping gaps that Apple has left with competing products.
2.Apply to become CEO of Apple to steer it in the direction that you are envisioning.
3. Switch to an Apple competitor who supposedly has better/worse products and complain on the forum about how Apple is going down the drain.

You have above choice my friend, pick wisely. I can foretell how this unfolds.

He's fairly right, is he not? Apple is clearly past their peak. All the giants have their time in the spotlight, then something else takes over. We've already seen Apple completely dethroned in "pro" computers.

An Apple related forum is exactly the place to complain. What benefit would complaints be on a competitor's discussion platform? At least here, maybe a group voice can be heard by someone in that company.

 

[maverick2007]

#RingGate

 

[oldwatery]

Based on Apple's recent track record of releasing mediocre products, it may be warranted. Mark my words, unless there is a major shakeup in management and talent, Apple will begin to decline to Sony levels in 5 to 7 years. Remember how hot and untouchable Sony was back in the day? Then they started releasing crap products with little innovation and poor quality control, just like Apple is starting to do. Just you wait.

I totally agree except that there are so many brainwashed Apple fans that they could put **** on plate and the idiots would still be lining up at the Apple Store for their next great thing!

 

[Piggie]

For sale in Apple stores soon ?

 

[jib2]

I doubt that this affects many wood surfaces/finishes. For example, my HomePod has been on two oiled Teak tables and kitchen counter without leaving any marks...

 

[smoledman]

You're putting it on the table wrong.

Apple is selling special silicon-coated tables now for $999, available in 12/24 month financing.
[doublepost=1518640080][/doublepost]

good grief....did apple NOT know this?????

Steve Jobs-Apple would have known. Tim Cook Apple is like IDGAF, I'm counting my trillions...
[doublepost=1518640218][/doublepost]

I do agree to an extent. I don't think Apple is in terminal decline, but there has for at least the past 5 or so years been a slow downward trajectory in a number of key areas. You've hit the nail on the head that lack of innovation and bad quality control have become major issues. I'd describe the recent approach of Apple as reactive. That's not a good thing.

Should I mention today that my Siri Remote(ATV) suddenly failed? I managed to recover(for now) by re-pairing but WTF? It still has 37% battery life, so that simply should not happen, that the swiping surface became unresponsive. Return of Crapple in 2019/2020?
[doublepost=1518640311][/doublepost]

“My HomePod left a mark on my oiled butcher block”

I suppose this is the textbook def of a First-World problem.

Sorry but NOT destroying expensive furniture is the bare minimum for a new Apple product in 2018. If you think they can just continue to get away with crap like this, fine.
[doublepost=1518640471][/doublepost]

Duh, they're not using the holder.

Perfect. Once you're down wiping, the iPhone is available to send down the toilet as well!

 

[Kekinash]

Aliens are trying to communicate with us through the HomePod...

 

[smoledman]

I totally agree except that there are so many brainwashed Apple fans that they could put **** on plate and the idiots would still be lining up at the Apple Store for their next great thing!

Apple's HomePod is the first time they came out with a new product and I decided to go with the existing top competitor(Echo) instead. That is a literal FIRST for me and I've bought $10K+ worth of Apple products over the last 10 years. A possible turning point?

 

[D.T.]

Aliens are trying to communicate with us through the HomePod...

Very likely, though I don't know what Louise has to do with this ...

 

[gwaizai]

Now your kids can play a new game: Ring Around the HomePod

Ring-a-round the HomePod,
A pocket full of iPods,
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down

 

[Mildredop]

Your placing it wrong

You're spelling it wrong.

 

[jimbobb24]

Silicone can react with oils but they have to be pretty extreme oils. Surprising. But a little felt or a coaster should be helpful. This will get fixed ASAP but until then - yeah a coaster.

 

[rafark]

RingGate! WoodGate! ...HaloGate?

All these 'gates.

It's all Gates' fault.

 

[nt5672]

Ive was expecting it to be thinner and weigh less, so they did not test for this.

 

[jav6454]

Just re-oil or re-wipe, as @OldSchoolMacGuy said.

Oh and if anyone needs advice on housecleaning or homekeeping, I’m available for a small consulting fee.

Did you miss where even Apple admits that there are cases in which doing this does not help or return the finish to what it used to be? The only way to achieve that is thru sanding and revarnishing.
[doublepost=1518641842][/doublepost]

An oil treated wipe. Same thing you do when anything leaves a mark on them. It's extremely common.

Another one that didn't read the entire first post. That helps mitigate but many wood surfaces are left scarred.

 

[Endorphine88]

I'm sorry, but asking that Apple issue a warning or they "should have foreseen this" is just ridiculous. What you choose to treat your wood surfaces with is entirely your issue to worry about. Silicone and oil don't play well together.
This is like "Apple needs to let us know that if we set the HomePod on fire and leave it in the house, our house will burn down!"

 

[mrzz]

End of the world in 3...2....1...

Looks like we’ve got our first drama of the year.

That’s right be all doom and gloom over this... “Apple should have done this, should have done that” and ignore the post about 4 above that says “my Sonos play:1 does the exact same thing to my wooden desk.”

It simply amazes me how some people on this forum only see what they want to and ignore everything else.

Apple is expected to be a quality baseline and leader and this is not acceptable, especially for a product, that will be, in many cases, resting on a similar surface. Apple famous and highly appreciated attention to the smallest details is just gone. Their primary concern last couple of years is just harvesting $

 

[dazz87]

Maybe this is a feature?? Like when you have friends or family member over to the house they will know you have the HP? Like when people know who has an iphone X cause of the notch.......

 

[artfossil]

Did you miss where even Apple admits that there are cases in which doing this does not help or return the finish to what it used to be? The only way to achieve that is thru sanding and revarnishing.
[doublepost=1518641842][/doublepost]

Another one that didn't read the entire first post. That helps mitigate but many wood surfaces are left scarred.

Here you go:

"Apple told Wirecutter that "the marks can improve over several days after the speaker is removed from the wood surface." If not, Apple recommends "cleaning the surface with the manufacturer's suggested oiling method." "

By the way, "varnishing" is not oiling or waxing.