Apple Discontinues Full-Sized HomePod to Focus on HomePod Mini

[victor.cardona]

This is sad. I think the HomePod is one of the most intriguing Apple products our there. I own three along with two minis and I think they each have their place. I know they weren't big sellers, but the minis have shown that HomePods can sell. I hope that we someday see a larger HomePod again.

 

[npmacuser5]

Agreed. I've used a few different brands of "Smart TV" and 1) the UI is dreadful, 2) they have ads, or 3) both. On the surface (i.e., specs and offerings) the TV (device) may not look better than these other options but, in my experience and opinion, it's well worth it. In fact, I wish there were still non-Smart TV models.

At the local Costco. Looking in the TV area. Helpful employee asked me, what you looking for. I said the dumbest non intelligent, zero smarts, 65 inch, 4K TV. Went and got a manager. Manager, we only have smart TV’s. How about one with a switch that says smart or stupid user selectable. Nope none of those either. Another TV wandering shopper jumped in. Said they wanted a stupid TV. The manager walked off. Sure he had a good time in the lunch room. 😀

 

[danny842003]

I'm sorry to tell you this, but not every business introduces a major product entry into a new market, then pulls it after selling it to so many people. This behavior is INEXCUSABLE.

what are you talking about? Very manufacturer does that. You still own the product it still functions what difference does it make if it’s no longer sold?
They retire iPhones all the time.

 

[danny842003]

This time next year they will quietly discontinue the HomePod Mini. It would be too embarrassing to do it now.

Based on what evidence or even reasoning?

 

[diamornte]

what are you talking about? Very manufacturer does that. You still own the product it still functions what difference does it make if it’s no longer sold?
They retire iPhones all the time.

This is about Apple canceling a major product entry into a new market after so many millions of Apple fans/faithful bought them up. We can't let this big corporation normalize this behavior. Apple is being hostile to its customers and this is unacceptable.

 

[DakotaGuy]

This was really a product that didn't have an audience. It might have had good sound quality for what it is, but no audiophile is going to give something like this the time of day. The good sound is all based on psyco-acoustics and coloring the sound and audiophiles hate that. There is no way to EQ the sound. It's what Apple thinks sounds best. Also, there is no way to listen to other media sources like CDs, Vinyl LPs, or lossless streaming sources. Marketing it on "great sound" alone wasn't a selling point.

The smarts of it is not at the same level as Google and Amazon products and it was a lot more expensive. It was a product that only really appealed to the hardcore Apple customers that only use Apple music (for the most part). It's just too small of a market for a company as large as Apple to waste their time on. If the Mini sells better then it makes sense just to focus on that.

 

[Arsenikdote]

Possibly just timing. When they axed the HomePod, they've presumably decided to complete the software development and release it rather than waste the work that had already been done. If it's purely software, they might even be able to port it to the mini or other systems in due course?

Yeah maybe! But it specifically doesn't work with the mini, so just is odd to release a feature that targeted to draw people into the newest ecosystem (watching content on their AppleTV). Again, to your point it could just be timing, but just feels like there might be more to come. As others have pointed out, why have a "mini" if no non-mini device exists. To me it just feels like everything points to some sort of product replacing it VS just having nothing and a mini. I guess we will see if a new AppleTV comes out and no new speaker devices!

 

[danny842003]

This is about Apple canceling a major product entry into a new market after so many millions of Apple fans/faithful bought them up. We can't let this big corporation normalize this behavior. Apple is being hostile to its customers and this is unacceptable.

You're not making any sense. What exactly has Apple done to you? Unless they have come around to your house and taken back a product you have paid for I don't understand what the actual issue is. Products are discontinued by companies all the time.

 

[sidewinder3000]

Why isn’t your home already outfitted with all the HomePods you need? Because they’re too expensive? That only helps justify Apple dropping a product that apparently moves in anemic numbers. The market has told Apple they’ll buy a $100 speaker, but not a $300 one.

What innovations have arrived on smartphones that have had a significant impact on our lives lately? If there were meaningful innovations still occurring on smartphones that would be reflected in sales figures with people ‘needing’ these new innovations.

Why doesn't everyone not already have EVERYTHING they want? Is it maybe because people but things a little at a time, and as the items prove their worth or their needs expand, they might buy more? Now you're really reaching, dude. Sorry, but I don't have time for this pretzel logic. All the best.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Throughout the history of “hi fi” it has been demonstrated that the vast majority of buyers don’t give a fig about sound quality. And since the “big bass” revolution, it’s even more true.

This is one reason TV speakers are so bad and people consider a mediocre sound bar as a huge upgrade. It’s why automakers save $25-$100 by cheaping out on cheap stock speakers and amps paired with expensive touch screen head units.

As a volume consumer electronics company, Apple can’t waste time on a niche product. If it were just a souped up version of another product, like a maxed out iPad or iMac, then low volume is fine. But this product is a stand alone thing, and it isn’t worth it to them.

It’s also ugly.

you’re absolutely right.

I just wonder how your post self contradicts itself:

1) can’t waste its time on niche products:

Mac Pro (Power Mac before it)
MBA began as a niche product (to compete and correct the NetBook which itself was a niche product)
Watch was a niche product (which boomed into the best selling watch of any category; its mainstream product now)

2) If it were just a souped up version of another product.
Well the HomePod mini is THE mainstream product so by definition the HomePod should sell quite well now.

the differences between the HomePod and the other products I’ve mentioned that began as niche products early on is that they continually evolved. The HomePod didn’t.

the HomePod needed a bridge to connect analog music lovers to digital. It also needed not limiting to just a pair for use.

I hope Apple makes a major update for the mini to allow unlimited synching of playback or at least up to 6.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

This is sad. I think the HomePod is one of the most intriguing Apple products our there. I own three along with two minis and I think they each have their place. I know they weren't big sellers, but the minis have shown that HomePods can sell. I hope that we someday see a larger HomePod again.

Apple finally realised a £349 (dropped to £299) price price point along with only allowing people to stream Apple Music wasn’t all that appealing. The Mini is now what they should have hit the market with originally. It’s not sad, they just often fail to understand what the consumer is interested in and that amazes me for such a large and successful company. Look at the iPhone 12, it took them a few years to realise consumers wanted the best of the high end iPhones but at a cheaper price. They always go big and deliver late these days on certain lines and it’s frustrating.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

This was really a product that didn't have an audience. It might have had good sound quality for what it is, but no audiophile is going to give something like this the time of day. The good sound is all based on psyco-acoustics and coloring the sound and audiophiles hate that. There is no way to EQ the sound. It's what Apple thinks sounds best. Also, there is no way to listen to other media sources like CDs, Vinyl LPs, or lossless streaming sources. Marketing it on "great sound" alone wasn't a selling point.

The smarts of it is not at the same level as Google and Amazon products and it was a lot more expensive. It was a product that only really appealed to the hardcore Apple customers that only use Apple music (for the most part). It's just too small of a market for a company as large as Apple to waste their time on. If the Mini sells better then it makes sense just to focus on that.

Absolutely spot on and this echoes my views on this too. The marketing it with the high quality sound as it’s unique selling point was rather optimistic. There are so many fantastic bluetooth/ smart speakers out there and these come with a lot more freedom and flexibility. The majority of consumers in the smart assistant market aren’t desperate for top quality sound, they just want a couple of speakers in their house to play music. Apple have spent 3 years watching Amazon dominate as a result.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Always wanted to buy (at least one) Homepod but held off due to the price (around EUR 320,- including VAT in Austria). I'm more into good sound than into the "smart" features of modern speakers and I think the HomePod might be right for me. Since 2012 I stream music via AirPlay to my B&W Zeppelin Air from early 2012 - which I love - but it has become somewhat glitchy over the last few years. It will be interesting to see (hear) if I like the sound of the Homepod more. If so, I might actually pull the trigger on a second one (for a stereo pair) before stock runs out. Anyway, I think it is a shame that Apple decided to kill the original homepod although I might have never bought one if I didn't currently feel the fear of missing out. 😂

It’s not even available in Austria. - wouldn’t by an outdated product - oida!

 

[TheGhostWalker]

I have a stereo pair and love the sound, but I live in an apartment building and the bass is a little too much even at low volumes. I may offload the big ones for a pair of minis. If I wasn’t living in an apartment building, I would never let go of the pair of HomePods I have now. The sound that comes out of them is truly amazing, but I don’t feel like I am getting the most out of them since I have to keep the volume lower so I don’t disturb my neighbors, especially since I like to listen to music late at night. I wish Apple would allow us to adjust the bass. C’est la vie.

Have you tried pulling them further away from a wall or corner? You can help reduce standing waves by doing this too

 

[MarkAtl]

At the local Costco. Looking in the TV area. Helpful employee asked me, what you looking for. I said the dumbest non intelligent, zero smarts, 65 inch, 4K TV. Went and got a manager. Manager, we only have smart TV’s. How about one with a switch that says smart or stupid user selectable. Nope none of those either. Another TV wandering shopper jumped in. Said they wanted a stupid TV. The manager walked off. Sure he had a good time in the lunch room. 😀

Not really relevant here as every TV has multiple inputs. Simply don’t connect it to wifi or ethernet and the TV becomes a dumb TV.

 

[RSB96]

I think it's a mistake kill the HomePod.

They approached the device wrong from the beginning. It's not a virtual assistant with speakerphone, it's a HI-FI audio system with Siri. It has spectacular technology and audio, plus it can summon Siri.

But it was always compared to devices with mediocre sound quality, simply because the others had Alexa or Google Assistant.

The HomePod mini has nothing to do in front of the HomePod at sound level, and more if you have two, the HomePod becomes a "Home-cinema", with the mini that will never happen.

About the future of the HomePod, I see two possibilities:

1- That the HomePod "2" is a larger and more powerful HomePod mini, but worse at a technical level than the original, and cheaper (199 dollars/euros).
2- That they release a HomePod Max, stereo, "home-cinema" style, with all the technology of the HomePod, costing about 800-900 dollars/euros.

 

[stevet]

My point above, is that Apple (or any manufacturer) doesn't build every product to everybody's specs. And it's great that there is competition. To the 15,000,000 million or so customers that bought the Homepod....I guess are in the minority. But the sound is awesome, so I will put up with the supposed inflexibility.

It would be 15 Million, of that was really the number but apple doesn't report those numbers so its clearly not enough for them to keep building them. Also, that's not really what you were saying, you were saying 'it works great for me' and that's fine, but it's easy to understand why it didn't sell well and fit into others homes. It was very expensive when there were other options out there that were a 1/3 of the price and offered more value. The never should have entered that space thinking they would sell 10's of millions a year of them. Not with that speaker at that price.

 

[I7guy]

It would be 15 Million, of that was really the number but apple doesn't report those numbers so its clearly not enough for them to keep building them. Also, that's not really what you were saying, you were saying 'it works great for me' and that's fine, but it's easy to understand why it didn't sell well and fit into others homes. It was very expensive when there were other options out there that were a 1/3 of the price and offered more value. The never should have entered that space thinking they would sell 10's of millions a year of them. Not with that speaker at that price.

True we don't know the exact numbers, but I guess the 15M was an estimate I read on this board from somewhere. And we don't know how many customers thought the Homepod was okay the way it was or not.

But no, for what it was, I thought it would have sold better. And we can only speculate why it never took off. I personally wanted a quality speaker that integrated with my other Apple devices. Not a cheap speaker that offered more "value" but less sound quality.

 

[stevet]

True we don't know the exact numbers, but I guess the 15M was an estimate I read on this board from somewhere. And we don't know how many customers thought the Homepod was okay the way it was or not.

But no, for what it was, I thought it would have sold better. And we can only speculate why it never took off. I personally wanted a quality speaker that integrated with my other Apple devices. Not a cheap speaker that offered more "value" but less sound quality.

I agree with you on the quality, they sound fantastic. The problem is that Apple wanted this to be a speaker for everything, a speaker for your home theater (that only worked with Apple TV) a speaker for your kitchen and speaker for the bedroom, etc..... And when you do that your competition is greater and spans farther. And that's where the price comes in, if they had just gone with the $100 version to start with and competed with the echos and homes they would have been much more successful, IMO.

I mean the speaker isn't 3 full years old yet and they are axing it. Makes you wonder when the support is going to run out on it and then we will be left up to the mercy of when the services change the speaker will be dead because there's no bluetooth interface or aux input. Thats why those features matter to people too. I regret buying them at this point.

 

[LordVic]

the HomePod didn't need to be killed. it just needed some minor tweaking to make it a good value.


Bluetooth and Aux input. honestly, that simple. make it usable for more than just basic Apple services and it would be competitive with the other speakers.

And a price cut.

But a "smart" speaker that costs leaps and bounds more than it's competition and has a severely crippled featureset in comparison for what basic users use? It's a hard sell

 

[Dimka]

Apparently you are mistaken.
The mini has the same user experience, featurers and Siri functionality as the larger HomePod.

All with the exception of the larger sounding better and the mini having better handoff via UWB.

Mini has few additional features that make it smarter, for example HomePod mini has Thread functionality while HomePod doesn’t. It’s a next-gen smart home device P2P communication protocol that will be widely used in the future of HomeKit.

 

[I7guy]

I agree with you on the quality, they sound fantastic. The problem is that Apple wanted this to be a speaker for everything, a speaker for your home theater (that only worked with Apple TV) a speaker for your kitchen and speaker for the bedroom, etc..... And when you do that your competition is greater and spans farther. And that's where the price comes in, if they had just gone with the $100 version to start with and competed with the echos and homes they would have been much more successful, IMO.

I mean the speaker isn't 3 full years old yet and they are axing it. Makes you wonder when the support is going to run out on it and then we will be left up to the mercy of when the services change the speaker will be dead because there's no bluetooth interface or aux input. Thats why those features matter to people too. I regret buying them at this point.

Other than Macs, generally other products that Apple manufacturers do not stay static for 3 years. I hope Apple will continue to support the software, but we will see.

Generally I don't have my iphones, which cost an arm and leg more than the homepod for more than a few years, so my expectation of the lifespan of the homepod is for a good long time.

 

[HappySponge]

My only concern is that say within a year (pulling timeline out of you know where) to access Apple Music requires version 14.6 which the HomePod will never get. Basically making it useless by itself.

 

[dannys1]

I disagree that the AirPods Pro are niche. Apple is selling a ton of them.

Sorry that of course should have been "AirPods Max"

 

[npmacuser5]

Not really relevant here as every TV has multiple inputs. Simply don’t connect it to wifi or ethernet and the TV becomes a dumb TV.

Not as easy as you say. Two reasons, if not connected to wifi, the too smart will keep reminding it lost connection. Right in the middle of a movie. If not connected cannot update TV software. Today’s too smart ones seem to have plenty of needed software updates. Most for the front end. Then there is security. Every device connected another hole that needs filling. All that for why? Zero need for a smart front end built into the TV. I have a dumb Plasma 14 year old TV. Awesome picture, dumb as a rock, Apple TV makes it wicked smart with zero hassles. Image the above for multiple TV’s.