HomePod Mini Cable is Non-Detachable, Ends With USB-C Connector for Use With Included 20W Power Adapter

[citysnaps]

Reliable at what, pulling the unit off the shelf when the cable is tugged? Making you spend more money to replace the whole unit when the cable is damaged by kids/dogs/cats? The benefits far outweigh the costs to supplying it with a detachable cable.

It seems you are not familiar with the word reliability.

And from what you posted you must have a lot of stories to tell about all of the power cables you have damaged from being careless, having kids/pets etc. I'd enjoy hearing a handful.

Me? None. I have integrated power cords on loads of devices and tools in my woodshop. Toasters, floor lamps, coffee-makers, rice cooker, hair dryers, desk lamps, sawz-all, paper shredders, heat gun soldering iron, Dremel tools, drill, audio gear, TVs, five HomePods, wood planer, wood routers, jigsaws, Fein detail sander, miter saw, air compressor, grinders, Festool track saws and sanders, other circular saws, three portable shop vacuums, rotary hammer, radios, portable shop lights, woodworking tools battery chargers, and on and on, and on. And an electronic lab with test equipment. Over many many years and with pets. With frequent and often rough usage.

I have NEVER had to deal with a faulty integrated power cord. Not once!

Fretting over HomePod Mini having an integrated power cord is a BS issue.

 

[danny842003]

Let's pretend it's not an issue. What about wanting a longer or shorter cord for tidiness?

it’s not pretending, it’s the same situation we have with most household devices. People are acting like this isn’t the norm.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

USB extension cable and/or cable ties?

Extension cables can be hit and miss (in my experience) and cable ties are ok but only as a compromise for a cable that's the right length. I'm one of those people that cares about the back of the cabinet for functionality and safety.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

It seems you are not familiar with the word reliability.

And from what you posted you must have a lot of stories to tell about all of the power cables you have damaged from being careless, having kids/pets etc. I'd enjoy hearing a handful.

Me? None. I have integrated power cords on loads of devices and tools in my woodshop. Toasters, floor lamps, coffee-makers, rice cooker, hair dryers, desk lamps, sawz-all, paper shredders, heat gun soldering iron, Dremel tools, drill, audio gear, TVs, five HomePods, wood planer, wood routers, jigsaws, Fein detail sander, miter saw, air compressor, grinders, Festool track saws and sanders, other circular saws, three portable shop vacuums, rotary hammer, radios, portable shop lights, woodworking tools battery chargers, and on and on, and on. And an electronic lab with test equipment. Over many many years and with pets. With frequent and often rough usage.

I have NEVER had to deal with a faulty integrated power cord. Not once!

Fretting over HomePod Mini having an integrated power cord is a BS issue.

That's a great list of appliances there. Nice work, I'd actually love a workshop to be able to do that kind of work. Sadly I have a tiny shed.

Anyways, a few examples:

1. My front speakers to the home theatre system got chewed by cats twice. The cords were easily replaced.
2. My 2016 and 16" MBPs have been yanked by the dog and kids several times causing the laptop to hit the ground. Luckily the port hasn't been damaged beyond it getting slogged out. This one's more a case of the lack of magsafe being a step backwards but nonetheless is an example of a cord causing a safety issue.
3. The older MBA chargers that don't have a detachable cord mean when the magsafe end frays (which it does because Apple aren't exactly leading the industry on quality cables) you have to replace the whole charger. Over $100 instead of $20.

There's three that came to mind without any effort. I'm sure you'll disagree but you did say you wanted to hear them.

 

[danny842003]

That's a great list of appliances there. Nice work, I'd actually love a workshop to be able to do that kind of work. Sadly I have a tiny shed.

Anyways, a few examples:

1. My front speakers to the home theatre system got chewed by cats twice. The cords were easily replaced.
2. My 2016 and 16" MBPs have been yanked by the dog and kids several times causing the laptop to hit the ground. Luckily the port hasn't been damaged beyond it getting slogged out. This one's more a case of the lack of magsafe being a step backwards but nonetheless is an example of a cord causing a safety issue.
3. The older MBA chargers that don't have a detachable cord mean when the magsafe end frays (which it does because Apple aren't exactly leading the industry on quality cables) you have to replace the whole charger. Over $100 instead of $20.

There's three that came to mind without any effort. I'm sure you'll disagree but you did say you wanted to hear them.

Two of them are mobile devices, the HomePod is not.

 

[redpandadev]

If they had built in an internal battery I'd have bought at least 5. As it stands now I"ll be buying 0.

 

[palmerc]

Besides the fact that Apple will sell exponentially more phones around the world than HomePod Minis (or of any size), iPhones are much more likely to be synced with a computer, or charged in a car, or taken to an office... In other words, phones are mobile. The HomePod Mini wasn't intended to be, but I love the idea of being able to potentially put it on a 10,000 mAh battery pack and move it around within Wi-Fi range.

In any case, there was going to be a 120V step-down transformer somewhere - Apple merely put it at the receptacle rather than inside the HomePod.

Just to second this position - iPhone customers tend to have a large collection of these chargers. I personally have drawers of these things and I'm glad to have them sell it separately in the future - and even better not include another set of headphones. A HomePod mini is meant to be 'always' plugged in, so it makes perfect sense to ship the adapter with it.