HomePod Appreciating in Value Following Discontinuation

[MacRumors]

The original HomePod, which Apple discontinued in March 2021, now appears to be appreciating in value on online marketplace sites (via The Verge).

The HomePod originally debuted for $349, before Apple reduced it to $299 just over a year later. Following lackluster sales, Apple discontinued the HomePod and said it was focusing on the HomePod mini going forward. The HomePod has still continued to receive software updates and new functionality.

Since then, research data from eBay indicates that the value of the HomePod has been gradually appreciating over time. 6,610 HomePods have been sold on eBay in the past year, with an average selling price of $347.61, over 15 percent more than Apple's retail price. 2,082 new or sealed HomePods were sold in this period of time with an average selling price of $432.27.

Over the past week, used or refurbished HomePods sold for an average price of $336.03, while new HomePods sold for an average price of $638.76, indicating a steady climb in value. The Verge places the HomePod's average appreciation at around 25 percent over Apple's $299 retail price. HomePods in used condition with no box tend to sell for prices starting at around $220, but new, factory-sealed HomePods can sell for over $500.

There has also been a noticeable decline in the number of HomePods listed for sale on eBay over time, which may contribute to the product's increase in value. Nevertheless, demand for Apple's large smart speaker appears to persist on online marketplaces, despite the device being almost five years old and containing the A8 chip from the iPhone 6.

Apple is still believed to be working on a successor to the HomePod that combines a smart speaker, Apple TV functions, and a FaceTime camera.

Article Link: HomePod Appreciating in Value Following Discontinuation

 

[rizzo41999]

I love this Homepod. Use it daily.

 

[triton100]

i love my HomePod, it sounds juicy and succulent, and makes me tremble to the touch

 

[bizzaregood]

Use a pair for my Apple TV… if one breaks I would want to replace it and I guess I would have to pay whatever

 

[ghanwani]

I'll put my up for sale when prices get to 5 digits.

 

[jonhoy]

I wonder how many are like me and are looking to buy a second one for stereo pair. Love my HomePod and use it every day. Won’t switch to mini unless I have to.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

I can see it’s not the HomePod failed but it’s price. Got 2 of them bought refurbished and love my babies.

 

[erikkfi]

That’s how scarcity works. They didn’t sell very many, they don’t sell them at all now, and so the used market is pretty tiny for the small number of people who regret not getting one.

 

[Bogstandard]

Imo, The so-called successor as described does not follow the mission statement of the original.

 

[fwmireault]

I wonder how many are like me and are looking to buy a second one for stereo pair. Love my HomePod and use it every day. Won’t switch to mini unless I have to.

I did exactly that a few weeks after it was discontinued. I don't regret it

 

[OS X Dude]

I can see it’s not the HomePod failed but it’s price. Got 2 of them bought refurbished and love my babies.

The sad thing is it was phenomenal value for what you got. Incredibly so when discounted like it was. 'Good enough' is sadly enough for most people when it comes to audio quality and the proliferation of £30 Echo Dots is testament to that.

 

[mansplains]

I sold mine at a loss of $50 or so if I remember correctly. Wonder how high someone could sell it for. I regret selling it with the box, I could've used it for a glitter bomb...

 

[PowerMac5500]

Deleted

 

[Phil77354]

The HomePod is a terrific little speaker. I have two in my office, along either side of my iMac, and two more in other rooms.

I'm not interested in selling my own HomePods but I hope this gives Apple some reassurance that a new HomePod with similar audio capabilities would find many interested customers.

 

[StangGT909]

I have a stereo pair with my 65" OLED TV.

I personally prefer the aesthetics (clean) look of a LH and RH homepod vs a soundbar

Also believe having a true LH and RH speaker with decent bass > Soundbar without a sub

With the latest Apple TV that enables you to use this with any TV input it's perfect, it's just too bad this feature was released posthumously to the OG homepod and it was never marketed this way.


Say it 1 more time, $299 x 2 = $600 Or $199 on super sale x 2 = $400 for an Amazing TV speaker setup that looks cool too, how do you even compare this to speaking over $1500 on a Sonos Arch + Sub? Call me crazy but I prefer the Homepod, the Sonos looks HUGE!

 

[pierce1979]

Excellent sound, love mine. Apple should have kept the price around $249 - it probably would have sold better.

 

[Macative]

I'm sure this is simply because A) everything is appreciating in value right now, and B) HomePod actually gained better stereo support and use cases after being discontinued, and owners of a single HomePod have steadily sought to find a second one.

Eventually this will taper off.

 

[caliguy]

I was set on buying my first pair if they had a hardware update. Settled for a single mini once it was discontinued ?

 

[icanhazmac]

Apple's mistake with this product was having no less expensive option at launch. If they had launched the HP at the same time or slightly after the HP Mini it might have sold much better than it did.

 

[mozumder]

Nice. Got a couple when they went on sale for $200. Great speakers.

 

[macduke]

Anything with scarcity in 2022, which is most things, has been/is shooting up in value. Inflation baby!

 

[SoldOnApple]

Imagine what their value would be if it had an 3.5mm AUX input on them and you could use them in stereo on any phone, TV, and any PC/game console. I'd have already bought two of them for sure. If it could operate off a battery I'd probably keep one in my car too.

 

[sorgo †]

One of my all-time favorite Apple devices that I will never get rid of. The mini is nice but really just doesn’t compare.

Hopefully Apple brings back a full-size, music- and sound-specific HomePod in the future; even better sound and SoC improvements would be welcome. Some of us just aren’t in the market for a FaceTime/Apple TV/HomePod Frankenstein thing.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

This HomePod should not have been discontinued in first place.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Love my HomePods. Bought them about a week before they were discontinued. Great sounding as a stereo pair.