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HomePod No Longer Available for Purchase From Most U.S. Apple Stores

hallrac said:
I was fortunate enough to purchase the last space gray HomePod from my local Best Buy about a month ago. I made the purchase with the app for in-store pickup.

When I got the HomePod I realized it says "HomePod Demo" on the box... It works like my other HomePod I picked up on release day, but I thought it was strange.

Does anyone know anymore about this? My thought is that it could've been an in-store demo unit but it arrived completely packaged and even had the plastic protective cover to peel off the top of the speaker.
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could’ve been a demo unit they never put out!
 
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JoEw said:
Missed chance.

Apple should of sold them in pairs for $399, and marketed them as high fidelity home theater.

I have a pair connected to my ATV and these things are amazing.
(New ATVs also let you use them as the audio return channel for your TV.)
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I heard there is a huge delay if ATV cannot sync the pic with the tone.
 
kenni417 said:
sad. homepod itself wasn’t a bad product. the price is what killed it… also siri’s stupidness.
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I'd have a handful were it not for those two things. As it is, a single HomePod, with a few Sonos speakers that have the AirPlay2 compatibility works great for me. And with the new Sonos Roam, I can take that anywhere I want, as long as it's in range.
 
I luv my HomePods and will always believe Apple's laziness (software) or shortsightedness killed a wonderful speaker. Oh and it does have just a tad too much bass, :rolleyes:
 
happydude said:
still upset they discontinued the main HomePod without an heir apparent. the mini's don't cut it for sound quality particularly in a larger room or as a tv speaker. also not interested in a HomePod with a screen/camera? ours are tucked away next to the tv or on a floating shelf in the corner of the living room. a screen/camera would be totally useless for us/our preferred use.
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Yeah I really hope the successor isn’t that super weird mock-up of a HomePod with a robotic arm attached to a screen.
 
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AL2TEACH said:
I luv my HomePods and will always believe Apple's laziness (software) or shortsightedness killed a wonderful speaker. Oh and it does have just a tad too much bass, :rolleyes:
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My biggest complaint is how slow Siri is to respond. Echo devices are twice as fast. It’s noticeable and the lag is unacceptable.

But if you don’t care about voice stuff, it’s great. I generally just airplay things, as I can never remember the names of my playlists.
 
nutmac said:
Using a stereo paired HomePods with Apple TV 4K (2nd gen) is seriously good. Obviously not as good as higher-end soundbar or home theater system. But miles ahead of most 2.1 soundbars and built-in TV speakers.

If you already have one HomePod, pick another before it's too late.
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I was hoping they would go on sale soon for this very reason but I should’ve known that Apple is notoriously stubborn with this sort of thing.

I’ll keep looking at other places for discounts to clear inventory.
 
AL2TEACH said:
I luv my HomePods and will always believe Apple's laziness (software) or shortsightedness killed a wonderful speaker. Oh and it does have just a tad too much bass, :rolleyes:
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The thumping overpowered bass is one of the key point. average consumers will be impressed about how much thump this little thing can produce.

But actually I find the mid and high a bit too muffled compared to my floorstanding stereo speakers.
 
AirunJae said:
This is... the incorrect takeaway from this. The HomePod is an excellent sounding device, but who it is for is a bit of a muddle. If you're someone that likes "high-end" sound stuff there are a number of ways in which this misses the mark, most notably the lack of an aux port. Many of the people who want a smart speaker just need for it to sound "good enough" at a cheaper price point. So the HomePod, in its current iteration, languished between the two markets. I think if Apple does a re-think, which they seem to be doing, they'll come up with something even better.
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what you wrote doesn’t change my take.
They are discontinuing a better product in favour of a low end one.whatever shortcomings original Homepod had,they could have made a refined,improved one.instead of ditching it and focusing on cheap casual replacement.
and I’m not talking about high end audio market,neither of these fit in that market anyway.
 
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iSayuSay said:
The thumping overpowered bass is one of the key point. average consumers will be impressed about how much thump this little thing can produce.

But actually I find the mid and high a bit too muffled compared to my floorstanding stereo speakers.
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I noticed a difference in a few songs too, and did a little digging. The best “solution” I found so far is adjusting the mid range through a custom EQ, but that could distort the sound in other ways as well. Everyone’s different though. 🤷‍♂️
 
I would have bought 2 if I could have connected it to my TV showing Live TV. I don't want 2 separate sound systems so I can watch TV. Unless I have missed something.
 
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