Apple Drops HomePod Price to $299, Down From $349

[LordVic]

Great product, have two and love them, but I think the sweet spot for this product needs to be $199. I am assuming a scaled back version will be able to hit that price point.

I agree on the price point..
but how do you scale back features on a fairly feature lacking product?

the features it has work well for thsoe who need them. But the feature list is pretty thin on the HomePod.. that's probably it's #1 failing and why the price point they're asking is a lot.

it's an Apple Music / AirPlay only device. No bluetooth. no Aux in. No external audio sources, or smart features. it's quite literally a good quality speaker with Siri.

I think HomePod 2 need to come out quicker than later to fix whats wrong with the homepod. Even a bare minimum BlueTooth would give at least some value back for this speaker outside of the niche core who can use it now. there's just nothing to scale back on

 

[rednif]

The Home Pod is so awkwardly positioned in the market. Even a 299€ price tag seems so far out of the spectrum, it's quite sad to be honest.

 

[tann]

This will not increase their market share, bringing out a product sub $99 will tempt people into the Apple Speakers, then once they get that, those looking for increased sound quality will get this.

Don't think many consumers who won't pay $350 will suddenly pay $299.

 

[reggierob2]

I know Apple won't lose sleep over my choice to sidestep HomePod but they missed the boat for me. I've just kitted the house out in Sonos. Great sound, more choice, more flexible, better voice assistant, equal design quality and better price point.

If HomePod had been £200 I'd have considered putting it in every room.

Sonos is supposed to be better. It costs way more. If your're kiting your house out in Sonos, the price wasn't keeping you away from the HomePad anyway. (e.g. if the HomePod was $100, you wouldn't have it instead of the Sonos.)

 

[DNichter]

I agree on the price point..
but how do you scale back features on a fairly feature lacking product?

the features it has work well for thsoe who need them. But the feature list is pretty thin on the HomePod.. that's probably it's #1 failing and why the price point they're asking is a lot.

it's an Apple Music / AirPlay only device. No bluetooth. no Aux in. No external audio sources, or smart features. it's quite literally a good quality speaker with Siri.

I think HomePod 2 need to come out quicker than later to fix whats wrong with the homepod. Even a bare minimum BlueTooth would give at least some value back for this speaker outside of the niche core who can use it now. there's just nothing to scale back on

I am not sure, that's really for Apple to figure out. I would expect a smaller version, not as many microphones, not as many tweeters, not as much bass due to size, stuff like that. It just won't sound as good as the larger version, which is expected. The rest of the features should remain the same.

I don't think Apple needs to add bluetooth support or any other services, but that's just me. This is a speaker for Apple users who want great sound and HomeKit. For those aspects, it's a perfect device, just expensive. That's Apple though.

 

[ipponrg]

That was really my main point. That I think for the average consumer, they don’t really know the sound that is capable of being produced from the HomePod until they actually try it. They just considered as another ‘smart speaker’, when it’s much more than that.

The average consumer is probably more pragmatic. I feel the HomePod was targeting at a crowd that Apple thought existed.

It ended up attracting a very niche audience which should be of no surprise

 

[Doomtomb]

Oh wow, only $300 now? Lemme buy five.

 

[DNichter]

The Home Pod is so awkwardly positioned in the market. Even a 299€ price tag seems so far out of the spectrum, it's quite sad to be honest.

Most similar speakers (Bose / Sonos) are around the same price. It's not really priced all that high compared to the competition.

 

[Classie]

I don't know what a siri smart puck would get you that your phone, iPad and Apple TV can't already do....

It wouldn’t give you and me anything special, but it would give a whole lot of people an Apple option to the echo.

 

[PickUrPoison]

This will not increase their market share, bringing out a product sub $99 will tempt people into the Apple Speakers, then once they get that, those looking for increased sound quality will get this.

Don't think many consumers who won't pay $350 will suddenly pay $299.

Contrary to the article, this price cut is not really meant to stimulate demand. It’s simply a reflection of reduced costs. Very similar to the SSD price cuts from a week or two ago. Costs are down, so Apple can afford to reduce the price a bit without compromising gross margin.

Yeah they’ll pick up some additional sales due to the lower price point, but that’s just a little extra bonus

 

[vipergts2207]

299 from Bose won't lock you into using only one brand device/service, again, while the price reduction is welcome, Homepod as it is is only a good ecosystem locking device.

Bose is garbage.

 

[tridley68]

Still to expensive .

 

[StellarVixen]

Keep dropping, and we'll see if we can arrange something...

Bose is garbage.

You know how they say, "no highs, no lows..."

 

[kstotlani]

I picked one up for $179 at Best Buy. $249 on sale with $70 in cash back rewards from my other BB purchases. Worth it at that price.

That is still $249.

 

[TrenttonY]

You know it’s bad when Apple lowers the price of a current generation device.

 

[Bin Cook]

Finally plunged on a Sonos One for £179. Why on Earth does anyone think the HomePod is better value at £100 with less features and same sound quality? It's just another product for Tim's imagined painfully aware upper middle classes.

Don't even get me started on the shambles with EU pricing. Messing around trying to find sweet spots for individual countries. Could you be any more blatantly greedy?

 

[gnipgnop]

It's not really priced all that high compared to the competition.

Yeah, $350 was not a high price for a high-quality compact speaker, regardless of whether it contained an on-board SoC, voice assistant, or could connect to the internet. People don't seem to have much perspective on what audio equipment has traditionally cost. Boomboxes that could only play radio and cassettes sold for $350 and above 30 years ago. We're living in a golden age of incredibly cheap electronics and people spend all their time complaining about price.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

Others here will list as a ‘flop’ now because Apple dropped the price. Anyone that’s experienced the HomePod, knows exactly what this speaker is capable of producing in terms of quality sound. I don’t regret purchasing mine for the Original $350 price point.

I think you're missing the point. It can still be considered a "flop" because those involved thought it could gain iPhone like acceptance at the original price point; it didn't. None of this takes anything away from how you're pleased with your purchase at the original price.

 

[iphonehype]

Bose is garbage.

Bold statement. I believe Bose serves a purpose.

 

[Jim Higgins]

no thanks

Not at ANY price when this and other "smart" speakers spy on a person. I would rather make my own decisions rather than trust them to a psychotic AI.

 

[TrenttonY]

Unless the offer a stripped down version in the range of $129, they will never have a huge percent of market share.

Not everyone cares for premium audio. Especially when junk/generic music tops the charts.

 

[IRockThat828pScreen]

Still too expensive. Try again, Timmy.

 

[macguru212]

I'm perfectly happy with my dumb JBL Flip 4 thank you very much.

 

[Pupi]

Apple thought they could break into a market forged by inexpensive, smart speakers, with an expensive, dumb speaker (with great sound).

 

[YaBe]

Bose is garbage.

Never said they were not