You think it isn't strategically a good idea to stop making a product that doesn't sell very well and think its a better idea to introduce another (presumably more expensive) model?
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Apple Discontinues Full-Sized HomePod to Focus on HomePod Mini
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You think it isn't strategically a good idea to stop making a product that doesn't sell very well and think its a better idea to introduce another (presumably more expensive) model?
Not surprising, they were late to the "smart speaker" game by years and by that point it was already after the race to the bottom had happened with things like Echo Dot being available. Usually that's fine because with a little Apple finesse they put out a product much more polished than the competitors but since the thing depends on Siri... lol
What a shame. I hope Apple reconsiders. The HomePod is an awesome device that is unrivaled in the smart speaker market in terms of sound, privacy, and integration with the Apple ecosystem. We have several at home and they are indispensable. Ask Siri to play some music, issue HomeKit commands, use multiple named timers (a godsend for cooking), drift off to slumber with ambient sounds. I can have my Squeezebox server use HomePods to play lossless music (via an airplay plugin). All with most excellent, room-filling sound. The trebles are crisp, the mids are clear, and the bass is powerful but tight - not the mushy mess one usually gets with speakers in this price range. Far-field Siri can hear you no matter what's playing. I was hoping Apple's next move would be either a dedicated HomePod home theater product capable of true multichannel surround (not just stereo pair with simulated surround) + Atmos or adding that capability to the HomePod or HomePod 2 (imagine 5 or 7 HomePods doing true surround), maybe a HomePod Max could serve as a woofer... Persistent connection to Apple TV or Mac would be nice too, as would lower latency and Thread support. A lossless Apple Music would do the HomePod's capabilities justice. Due to its good looks, sound, and utility, HomePod has a high WAF compared to the competition.
If Apple loses the game they quit. We purchase products that Apple claims are great and then they just quit if they don't make gobs of money. The hell with the customer we have no concerns if a few people love the product lets discontinue that product and sell them the tiny ones that sound like tiny ones. We can make so much more money and the fools who believed us and bought the Homepods can just buy Sonos speakers because really Sonos knows how to make good speakers and we have once again failed. Just think what will happen when they make cars that fail. Apple has become everything Steve Jobs tried to prevent. Oh how I miss the intellagence and creativity of Steve Jobs. I have invested a great deal in Apple but I think its time to move on to a company that believes in their products and backs them up.
I bought 2 very recently. They sound great for the amount of space they take up. I thought they’d be updated and I’d be annoyed. This is worse.
Apple won't post my response, Lets just say I have talked sooo many of my friends and family into Homepods and now I feel like such a fool.
Apple used to step up anytime the competition made a better move now they just quit.
Does this just mean there will be a new full sized HomePod at some point? Maybe at $199? Having just a mini, which I think doesn’t sound all that great, feels like a bad strategy.
It’s shortsighted. As a home music system, Apple are now much less compelling. Why would you buy into Apple for music if you believe the only option is tiny baseless speakers? They don’t even offer a standalone AirPlay receiver. You have to buy 9-year-old Airport Express’s or Apple TVs. I think it’s a terrible move.
Then why would they announce they are discontinuing the product to concentrate on the mini publicly?
My guess is they rename the mini just 'Homepod' at some point. The new in store displays don't feature the original model or the 'Mini' branding.
I understand people's confusion here. If it was selling that poorly, why even add Dolby Atmos to it? And adding it EXCLUSIVELY to a now discontinued product?
You can just hook up say Sonos speakers to your TV and they play the sound from your AppleTV as well. Having Siri is nice though. Now that I got used to the Mini I find it annoying having to pick up my phone to play something on the Sonos. At least Sonos + TV works automatically.
If that’s the case then that’s a major screw up on their end. I remember reading something similar that $299 is pretty much a break even point.
The thing is it never needed to me a total 360 degree sounding device. It needs to be plugged in. And the vast majority of people put a HomePod on a table near a wall outlet. If this was portable then yes 360 sound would be nice. But they could’ve cut component cost by taking out 2 out of the 7 speakers.
Now that I think of it I don’t buy the fact this costs nearly $300 to produce. It’s using an A8 chip and it’s shell is actually plastic. I’m sure it’s not super cheap but I think it’s more that apple can’t make their usually high margin on it.
Stop being so dramatic. They don't just suddenly stop working.
They're a business first and foremost and need to make business decisions. The HomePod will still be supported for years.
Yes, I love my AirPods Max due to how many devices I have and I do not need to constantly clear out my pairing list like I used to with my Sennheiser. I can use my AirPods Max with my Windows 10 custom built gaming PC just fine with Bluetooth! It is definitely worth the $600 - my Sennheiser I got 5 years ago are wireless and they were $380 so not a HUGE difference to me.
Also, I cannot do earbuds for extended periods of time. I have had the AirPods Max connected for 6 consecutive hours before.
Please do. Let us know when you find that company that won’t quit making stuff that doesn’t sell.
It's 2021 and people are still trying to discern Apple's product direction by reading things into marketing qualifiers (Mini, Air, Pro, etc.) in Apple's product names?
I feel bad for those who own and love their HomePods. If I were absorbed into the Apple ecosystem (or Apple provided some way for the rest of us to use non-Apple devices and services), I'd have at least a pair of them. I have been very impressed with the physical design and appearance as well as the tech inside.
@trip1ex is spot on when they say that the HomePod was targeting Sonos not the Echo.
Since Apple's approach is generally to make their hardware exclusive to the software and service elements of their ecosystem that put them at a disadvantage against Sonos who doesn't have those constraints.
I hope to one day see Apple offer some "open" options for their products. There is a lot of Apple hardware that I would like to buy if they weren't locked into the ecosystem. But I know that's not their goal and that I'm in the minority.
I feel bad for those who own and love their HomePods. If I were absorbed into the Apple ecosystem (or Apple provided some way for the rest of us to use non-Apple devices and services), I'd have at least a pair of them. I have been very impressed with the physical design and appearance as well as the tech inside.
@trip1ex is spot on when they say that the HomePod was targeting Sonos not the Echo.
Since Apple's approach is generally to make their hardware exclusive to the software and service elements of their ecosystem that put them at a disadvantage against Sonos who doesn't have those constraints.
I hope to one day see Apple offer some "open" options for their products. There is a lot of Apple hardware that I would like to buy if they weren't locked into the ecosystem. But I know that's not their goal and that I'm in the minority.