me cacually having 6 of them in my home lol
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Apple Reclassifies iPhone X, HomePod, and Original AirPods as 'Vintage'
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Got me beat! I’ve only got two of them in a stereo pair. (I’ve also got a HomePod mini in another room.)
Really, you found the rounded edges nicer than the flat edges of the 12 & company?
Knock on wood, my original HomePod still works perfectly. It mostly stays stationary as my Apple TV speaker, but I brought it to my wedding last year for our music, worked great. I gave my brother my old iPhone X years ago, I'm very sure he's going to use it until it's dead.
I still use mine for meetings when I am WFH. Battery isn't the greatest anymore, but I used them heavily until I got my Pros about 2 years ago.
The OG HomePods have been an absolute sh*tshow in terms of software/firmware. 7 years, endless updates, and they never got it right. Pathetic from Apple- especially useless Siri, that somehow got even worse as time progressed.
I can’t believe how many people here are talking about Apple repairing these. Apple has never repaired Homepods. The only thing they offer is a refurb for $279 as a “repair“.
Why would you repair the OG for $279 when you can buy a brand new Gen 2 one for $299 (or as happened with the Verizon deal a few weeks ago, you can buy brand new full-size Gen 2 HomePods for $175).
Apple went from being of the few major manufacturers with any integrity to being pretty much the worst manufacturer with no integrity when it comes to repairing their devices.
There is clearly a know hardware error on the power supply that by my guesstimation is probably around 30% of all of the original HomePods.
Why would you repair the OG for $279 when you can buy a brand new Gen 2 one for $299 (or as happened with the Verizon deal a few weeks ago, you can buy brand new full-size Gen 2 HomePods for $175).
Apple went from being of the few major manufacturers with any integrity to being pretty much the worst manufacturer with no integrity when it comes to repairing their devices.
There is clearly a know hardware error on the power supply that by my guesstimation is probably around 30% of all of the original HomePods.
My stereo pair have started dropping the pair frequently over the past month or two. It's REALLY frustrating when I'm watching something on the Apple TV and all of a sudden the pair drops - one keeps playing what the TV is sending, the other plays like it's airplay (there's a delay). Eventually it stops and I've got no sound for a few minutes, then it starts back up again and works for another few hours before it fails again.
They used to be fairly reliable (failure maybe once a month or less). Now it's multiple times a day. The TV speaker isn't of the same quality, and I don't really want to have to go buy a sound bar.
I’ve got 6 of them throughout my house, most from launch, all going strong with mostly daily use.
I picked up a HomePod mini at some stage, but it’s relegated to a hallway due to not sounding very good.
I don't give two hoots about my old Homepod's Siri or Homekit server compatibility I just want the music streamed via Airplay to play as expected.
When the original HomePod was suddenly discontinued, I went out and bought 2 more. I knew I was buying a discontinued product and I'm happy with my decision and I'll use them until they die.
Yes, Siri has gotten dumber over the years as they tried to add more features and make it worse, but that's not why I bought them. It was for their absolutely beautiful sound and their seamless integration into my Apple ecosystem. For that, they're a 10/10 and I'll buy a follow up HomePod to replace them when it comes to that.
Yes, Siri has gotten dumber over the years as they tried to add more features and make it worse, but that's not why I bought them. It was for their absolutely beautiful sound and their seamless integration into my Apple ecosystem. For that, they're a 10/10 and I'll buy a follow up HomePod to replace them when it comes to that.
Same here. Siri’s never been good on the HomePods (or anywhere). Best living room speakers I’ve used in … 7 years I guess! 😆
Should read "Siri came built-in which led to countless hours of frustration, causing owners to swear at Siri like drunken sailors..."
Apple today reclassified the iPhone X, first-generation HomePod, and first-generation AirPods as "vintage" products.
The products appeared on Apple's vintage and obsolete products list earlier today. Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than five and less than seven years ago. Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers continue to offer repairs for vintage products for up to two more years, subject to parts availability.
The iPhone X, announced on September 12, 2017 and released on November 3, 2017, represented a significant leap forward in Apple's smartphone design and feature-set. Marking the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, it introduced several significant changes such as the removal of the home button, allowing for an edge-to-edge 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display. Face ID, a facial recognition system, replaced Touch ID for authentication, utilizing a TrueDepth camera system in a "notch" that also enabled Animojis. The iPhone X was powered by the A11 Bionic chip, featuring the company's first dedicated Neural Engine for enhanced machine learning capabilities, and it supported wireless charging for the first time. Its stainless steel frame and glass back design marked a return to a more premium aesthetic.
The original HomePod was announced on June 5, 2017, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and released on February 9, 2018. Initially priced at $349, the HomePod was designed to deliver high-quality audio and integrate closely with Apple's ecosystem, including Apple Music and AirPlay. It featured a custom-engineered high-excursion woofer and an array of seven beamforming tweeters. The HomePod was powered by the Apple A8 chip, enabling real-time acoustic modeling, audio beamforming, and multi-channel echo cancellation. Siri came built-in, allowing users to control music playback, manage smart home devices, and access information and services via voice commands.
Apple announced the original AirPods on September 7, 2016 and officially released them on December 13, 2016, with a retail price of $159. The wireless earbuds were groundbreaking due to their seamless integration with Apple's ecosystem, facilitated by the custom-designed W1 chip. The chip enabled effortless pairing with Apple devices, long battery life, and efficient wireless connectivity. The AirPods also featured optical sensors and motion accelerometers, allowing them to detect when they were in the user's ears, automatically pausing playback when removed. Their unusual, compact design, combined with the convenience of a portable charging case, set a new standard for wireless earphones, making them highly popular and influential in the audio accessory market.
Sometime after becoming "vintage," an Apple product will be reclassified as "obsolete." Apple says it considers a product obsolete once seven years have passed since the company last distributed it for sale. When this happens, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers no longer offer repairs or other hardware service for it.
Article Link: Apple Reclassifies iPhone X, HomePod, and Original AirPods as 'Vintage'
Thank God for Nic's Fix! Nic repaired my OG HomePod and even live streamed it while he performed the fixes. The approximate $75 was well worth it! https://nicsfix.com/
Yeah those speakers from 40-50 years ago still work because you can plug them to anything. The HomePod doesn’t have a line in and doesn’t even work as a Bluetooth speaker. The speaker drivers will last for so long, the chips that power Siri won’t.
Apple refurb?
Until the capacitor blows.
Nice! Not knowing this I ended up replacing with an Apple refurbished version 2.
I’m more concerned with security updates (when/if necessary) than new features.
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