Apple Now Selling Refurbished HomePod for $299

[0924487]

I think $200 would be a maximum price I would consider this. If it was $250 and worked as a BT speaker and had an wired aux input, I would bite. As is, it’s too limited for too high of a price

You know most premium BL speakers that's not remotely as well-put-together as the HomePod cost $600+ right? Even the prosumer ones made by JBL, UE, etc cost more than $400

Just an iPhone battery cost $100, the Apple Pencil cost $130, and the keyboard for iPad cost $299. Why would you expect a smart speaker with an Apple A8 SoC in it, plus 7 tweeters, 1 sub-woofers, a 12-microphone array, a colour LCD screen, and inside a beautiful IP69 Fabric enclosure cost less than $200? It doesn't make any sense.

 

[Fozziebear71]

I plan on purchasing at least two, probably four of them with Best Buy’s Black Friday deal. They will be the first ones that I have purchased but, unlike others that constantly post negative comments on these forums about the HomPod, I understand exactly what the HomePod was designed for. If I wanted a cheap speaker to tell Amazon to send me more toilet paper, I would buy an echo. I don’t care for that. The HomePod, along with my Apple Music subscription, and an increasing number of Homekit compatible smart products in my house, I have no doubt I’ll be pleased.

 

[Mtmspa]

I have two and love them. I really dont care what they cost as I use it to handle my many home kits enabled devices.

 

[dmaxdmax]

I have a $200 Bose BT speaker and sonically the HomePod is easily worth twice as much.

Of course the Bose is overpriced..

 

[Remy149]

Apple today added the HomePod to its online store for refurbished products in the United States, offering the smart speaker at a discount for the first time.

The HomePod, normally priced at $349, is available in both white and space gray for $299, a $50 discount off of the regular price.

There is no HomePod listing on the main Apple refurbished site as of yet, but it should be added in the near future. For now, the HomePod can be purchased from the individual HomePod refurbished listing. Apple is still rolling out refurbished models, so the page doesn't work on occasion, but will show up with refreshing.

A refurbished HomePod bought today will be delivered between November 30 and December 14, depending on shipping method selected at the time of purchase.

Introduced in February, the HomePod is Apple's Siri-enabled smart speaker that pairs well with Apple Music. It serves as a Home hub, features AirPlay 2 support, can make phone calls, and offers up most of the capabilities of Siri on an iPhone.

Apple's refurbished stock is often limited in quantity and can sell out, which is something to be aware of. Checking the refurbished site often or using a tracking site is the best way to figure out when a particular item that you might want is in stock.

Purchasing a refurbished HomePod from Apple is a good way to get a like-new device at a lower price point. All of Apple's refurbished products are tested, certified, cleaned, and guaranteed with a one-year warranty that can be extended with AppleCare+.

Article Link: Apple Now Selling Refurbished HomePod for $299

I’m waiting for Best Buy’s Black Friday sale where they will be $250

 

[inkswamp]

$149 and then we'll talk.

Or give it the no-brainer features it's missing. If they'd allow Bluetooth integration for audio from non-Apple devices, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

 

[ipponrg]

I have a $200 Bose BT speaker and sonically the HomePod is easily worth twice as much.

Of course the Bose is overpriced..

I think comparing your HomePod to a BOSE is putting the bar too low.

BOSE to people who can see through the marketing = Buy Other Sound Equipment.

 

[Karma*Police]

Still too high...It may be an excellent sounding machine but not the right market.

I disagree. I own 2 and I think it’s worth every penny at $349. I’ve owned B&W A5 ($499), JBL L8 ($599) and Echo ($129) and Dot ($49) and the worst value was the B&W followed by Echo and Dot. Lower price doesn’t equate to a better value.

And the single biggest use of smart speakers, by far, is playing music so I’m not sure what you mean by it’s not the right market.

If people want AI, then Apple Watch is not only a FAR better solution than smart speakers, but also far more economical than outfitting every room with a cheap smart speaker that will seldom get used.

 

[sza]

249 on b&h

 

[ilikewhey]

No tax out of ny and nj

 

[Aussi3]

So many haters on the Macrumors forums about anything Apple. I love my HomePod gonna get another one soon

 

[oldmacs]

$299 for a glorified speaker with a semi useless personal assistant?

Apple really needs to get Siri sorted out. It is a complete joke compared to Google Assistant.

 

[tromboneaholic]

If you're thinking about buying it - think a bit longer.

There isn't integration with Apple Home or Apple Music app. Imagine that, Spotify a third party app, has options to scrub through your music and view track names whilst Apple Music has nothing.

But the HomePod does have great sound!

What are you going on about?

This is absolutely false. Why would you even type out this unfounded inaccuracy no one else shares?

 

[Grey Area]

Still can't believe how many are unable to grasp this. The HomePod was first and foremost intended to be about listening to music and that it does better than any comparable single speaker on the market.

Apple hardly mentioned the Siri capabilities of the HomePod during the Keynote and hardly does so on their website. It's beyond clear from what they've said again and again that the smart speaker capabilities are not at all the focus.

And yet, some are still so deaf and blind to this that they haven't realized it yet.

I do not recall the exact original marketing of the HomePod, but the current site mentions Siri and smart home quite a bit. Yes, music is mentioned first, but so what? Would that mean that we are generally supposed to read Apple's marketing texts as ordered by tech readiness level - further down means more prototypical, less functional?

No, as it stands, the HomePod is also marketed as a smart speaker and it is perfectly valid to compare it to other smart speakers. If Apple wants to use the that's-not-the-focus-defence, don't mention smart speaker functionality at all, or clearly mark it as an experimental beta extra.

 

[tromboneaholic]

I do not recall the exact original marketing of the HomePod, but the current site mentions Siri and smart home quite a bit. Yes, music is mentioned first, but so what? Would that mean that we are generally supposed to read Apple's marketing texts as ordered by tech readiness level - further down means more prototypical, less functional?

No, as it stands, the HomePod is also marketed as a smart speaker and it is perfectly valid to compare it to other smart speakers. If Apple wants to use the that's-not-the-focus-defence, don't mention smart speaker functionality at all, or clearly mark it as an experimental beta extra.

That's OK. There were a lot of people who didn't get the iPod at first either.

This is like an iPod, with better sound, that can turn your lights on and off, and can be used to add to your grocery list while your hands are full in the kitchen.

So many people are obsessed with playing trivia games to compare "smart" devices, that they miss the whole point of how people use them.

 

[Winni]

$149 and then we'll talk.

Only if it also supports Amazon Music (where I buy my stuff and have my music library) and Alexa... So it will never happen, I guess. Walled gardens suck.

 

[ascender]

I’ve been holding out for a price drop to buy another one to go in the office. For me Siri is secondary to the sound quality and ability to airplay from whatever device i have on me. So I’m looking on it as a reasonably priced speaker which sounds great rather than a disappointing home assistant experience.

 

[WilliamG]

I’ve been holding out for a price drop to buy another one to go in the office. For me Siri is secondary to the sound quality and ability to airplay from whatever device i have on me. So I’m looking on it as a reasonably priced speaker which sounds great rather than a disappointing home assistant experience.

There you go, then:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=apple+homepod&ci=9581&sts=ps

 

[Arran]

No tax out of ny and nj

And b&h are still making money at $250.00

It’s starting to smell like an end-of-year clearance. Could mean one of several things.

 

[dilbert99]

Still too high...It may be an excellent sounding machine but not the right market.

I listened to it in a display and didn't think it was excellent sounding compared to my AV movie setup.

 

[coolbreeze2]

On Turkey Day Best Buy will have new HomePods for $250.

https://www.cnet.com/news/black-friday-2018-smart-home-deals-nov-13-update/

 

[BvizioN]

$149 and then we'll talk.

$149 is still high.
$14 and then we talk!

 

[kiranmk2]

TBH, most reviews compared the sound to the Sonos Play 1 with some reviewers preferring the HomePod and some the play 1. The new smart Sonos One is $200 list price and will combine the good sound quality of HomePod with the AI of Alexa (and Google from next year). Even with the Apple premium the HomePod should not be more than $250 out of sales - especially as it is so locked to the the Apple ecosystem.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

I do not recall the exact original marketing of the HomePod, but the current site mentions Siri and smart home quite a bit. Yes, music is mentioned first, but so what? Would that mean that we are generally supposed to read Apple's marketing texts as ordered by tech readiness level - further down means more prototypical, less functional?

No, as it stands, the HomePod is also marketed as a smart speaker and it is perfectly valid to compare it to other smart speakers. If Apple wants to use the that's-not-the-focus-defence, don't mention smart speaker functionality at all, or clearly mark it as an experimental beta extra.

I think one reviewer put it best. And they were talking about Siri on the HomePods. Vs Alexa and Google. It’s not that Siri got dumber over time. It’s that the other assistants have passed Siri up in what it can do. So it makes Siri look inferior. Siri is still good at handling a lot of requests. It is just not as good as the other assistants.

 

[Lab4Us]

You know most premium BL speakers that's not remotely as well-put-together as the HomePod cost $600+ right? Even the prosumer ones made by JBL, UE, etc cost more than $400

Just an iPhone battery cost $100, the Apple Pencil cost $130, and the keyboard for iPad cost $299. Why would you expect a smart speaker with an Apple A8 SoC in it, plus 7 tweeters, 1 sub-woofers, a 12-microphone array, a colour LCD screen, and inside a beautiful IP69 Fabric enclosure cost less than $200? It doesn't make any sense.

Because it’s the everything free generation. I kid, I kid!

Back to OP, I have a paired set on my bedroom TV w/Apple TV...phenomenal. Then others in other rooms of the house (singles). Don’t regret for a second the price I paid for the quality, sound, and privacy. I also have a Sonos PlayBase w/sub on living room TV that isn’t going anywhere (unless Apple makes a similar product w/the technology in the HomePod). Amazing how technology isn’t an all or nothing proposition as it relates to manufacturers, yes?