Looking to Grab a HomePod Before They're Gone? These Retailers Still Have Stock

[Bazooka-joe]

Despite the disappointment of support and development been withdrawn for the big Homepods, at least we know the Apple is still continuing to invest in the smart speaker market. I have a couple of HomePod minis and I have to say they’re absolutely great. They’re very light and portable and you can just put them anywhere in the house and they’re not conspicuous at all. I shall keep my two big HomePods but I may invest in some more minis

 

[mabhatter]

I still don't understand why these didn't have a line in. I was ready to spring for two of these to use as TV speakers when they came out. Then the Apple Store guy told me I couldn't do that.

it's great sound for its size. Apple really hamstrung that by tying it only to airplay2. No line on or Bluetooth really makes it a tough sell if you're not always going to be Apple-centric.

 

[NO1EYENO]

Apple Killed this speaker by Greed! What did it cost to build $75 to $100 Max? Why the price Gouging?
Same with their new Beer Can Headphones! Over Priced with Sound Quality not matching the price!
Beats Headphones are Totally Getto! With poor sound quality just to Look Cool! What a joke. Poor Steve
would turn over in his grave by these Mistakes! He would of used Senheiser for headphones not Beats!

 

[CJM]

It's annoying because they just recently nailed the HomePod software, imo. It's way better than it used to be. Stereo works great and is reliable now. You can pair with a Mac, you can get Dolby Atmos with the AppleTV.

Such a bummer. I picked up both of mine for £200 each. Worth it at that price for sure. Stunning sound for the price. They should add Bluetooth support. I know they have the correct chip for it.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Apple Killed this speaker by Greed! What did it cost to build $75 to $100 Max? Why the price Gouging?
Same with their new Beer Can Headphones! Over Priced with Sound Quality not matching the price!
Beats Headphones are Totally Getto! With poor sound quality just to Look Cool! What a joke. Poor Steve
would turn over in his grave by these Mistakes! He would of used Senheiser for headphones not Beats!

Sennheiser is crap - beats is ghetto not cool - but everyone can have what it wants.
airpods max - are a maximum cash cow - haha - i kinda like them - how they sit on your head - but price is insane.

today am not sure what mistakes steve would have made - cook is a greedy one - but that’s what nowadays makes you succesfully.
no one can attack apple - they can make what they want - faulty AirPods, inferior battery, keyboards - its really magic how people including me buy every crap they sell!

 

[pauloregan]

This doesn’t bode well for people looking forward to a new AppleTv box. That will be next for the chop.
Apple are basking in all their Apple One money.
Surely the sensible thing for customers is to buy the phone, iPad and Mac and avoid the other products as they will be abandoned.

 

[CJ Dorschel]

It's annoying because they just recently nailed the HomePod software, imo. It's way better than it used to be. Stereo works great and is reliable now. You can pair with a Mac, you can get Dolby Atmos with the AppleTV.

Such a bummer. I picked up both of mine for £200 each. Worth it at that price for sure. Stunning sound for the price. They should add Bluetooth support. I know they have the correct chip for it.

Wait, they have BT hardware but are not using it? Seriously??? Wow!

Wireless

• 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO
• Direct guest access4
• Bluetooth 5.0

I had no idea. Why did they not make use of BT connectivity especially for non-Apple devices? I get wanting to push Apple services with AirPlay 2 but Apple Music works via a browser and other methods aside from Apple devices. I would think Apple would want to increase user base by going cross platform as Jobs did with the iPod and iPhone.

This decision was a bad move on Cook’s part and could easily be remedied by simply opening up the system with a software update. Not allowing other devices to stream wirelessly via BT was a big factor in many not diving into HomePods.

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

So you can use it even if you don't have an iPhone or iPad.

Aux-in would achieve the same thing without the many limitations of bluetooth.

 

[kevinpdoyle]

Why still spend $300 on a 3 year old product that's been killed off and was never too great to begin with tho.

Stereo pairing. I have one and have always debated buying a second one and setting them up as a stereo pair. I personally enjoy my HomePod for what it is, a great Apple Music connected speaker and HomeKit scene setter.

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

Wait, they have BT hardware but are not using it? Seriously??? Wow!



I had no idea. Why did they not make use of BT connectivity especially for non-Apple devices? I get wanting to push Apple services with AirPlay 2 but Apple Music works via a browser and other methods aside from Apple devices. I would think Apple would want to increase user base by going cross platform as Jobs did with the iPod and iPhone.

This decision was a bad move on Cook’s part and could easily be remedied by simply opening up the system with a software update. Allowing other devices to stream wirelessly via BT was a big factor in many not diving into HomePods.

I can see them issuing a software update that enables bluetooth at some point now that they've announced the discontinuation. Maybe not soon but eventually.

This doesn’t bode well for people looking forward to a new AppleTv box. That will be next for the chop.
Apple are basking in all their Apple One money.
Surely the sensible thing for customers is to buy the phone, iPad and Mac and avoid the other products as they will be abandoned.

At this point my Apple TV is one of the devices I'd least like to give up tbh. What am I meant to replace it with, an Nvidia shield??

 

[Arty6]

Sound could be the best on earth, its functionality is still a joke.

How is it not functional?

 

[turbineseaplane]

This doesn’t bode well for people looking forward to a new AppleTv box. That will be next for the chop.
Apple are basking in all their Apple One money.
Surely the sensible thing for customers is to buy the phone, iPad and Mac and avoid the other products as they will be abandoned.

This hints at my larger concerns for Apple, as a customer, moving forward.

They are so "all in" on the services revenue growth and seemingly less and less interested in any hardware that isn't a MASSIVE sales hit that also directly ties into boosting services revenue.

The number and type of hardware products that fulfill both of those obligations is somewhat small.

 

[CJ Dorschel]

Aux-in would achieve the same thing without the many limitations of bluetooth.

Agree but unfortunately everyone wants wireless. After the headphone jacks were removed to make room for other iPhone components BT audio was marketed and pushed as the way to go. Not many manufacturers in this market are using direct connections esp as they want to emphasize location convenience that would be limited with wires. Personally, adding inputs, etc should have been standard with the price tag. I just learned it has BT 5.0 but Apple won’t allow streaming and BT connectivity which makes no sense if they want to expand their Apple Music subscriber base as many who don’t have Apple devices can’t stream to them. That is baffling and could easily be remedied with a software update.

The more I learn about the product launch, marketing, and improper use of included hardware the more I’m amazed with Cook’s decisions.

 

[turbineseaplane]

At this point my Apple TV is one of the devices I'd least like to give up tbh. What am I meant to replace it with, an Nvidia shield??

Totally with you. I would be really really upset if it goes away, as we have them deployed across multiple homes in the family -- probably over 16 units total I'd guess?

They are overpriced for what they do and offer, but they do it so simply and so well with very little fuss.

That said - I'm very open to an updated and simply Apple TV "stick". The size of it and the whole big/bigger onboard storage thing and all that -- way overkill.

I think most of us just want the Apple TV interface/Apps/Remote and little beyond that. I'd like them to break out a "gaming" version if people are interested in paying for that (I am not).

 

[pauloregan]

I can see them issuing a software update that enables bluetooth at some point now that they've announced the discontinuation. Maybe not soon but eventually.



At this point my Apple TV is one of the devices I'd least like to give up tbh. What am I meant to replace it with, an Nvidia shield??

As the appletv app is on all new TVs and games consoles (and coming available on on one and two year old TVs) it’s days are numbered.
The potential sales will just not be there.

ps. I have three around the house, all being used. I’m not against the product, just being realistic.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Aux-in would achieve the same thing without the many limitations of bluetooth.

Ideally we'd get both.

Bluetooth, however, is a particularly galling omission given that the hardware for bluetooth is already present inside the HomePod. I guess that would give hope that they might add that functionality via a SW update, but I would bet against it.

Apple doesn't really enable brand new functionality like that, via updates, on totally abandoned hardware.

Far more likely and in character would be an all new device that offers more options from the get go.
I also find that unlikely though.

I think Apple might be done in this space for a bit, save for the HP Mini's.

 

[nvmls]

It sounds so good that you would need two to sound even better.

 

[imola.zhp]

We LOVE ours, we have two.

Hope to see an updated model at some point with updated features to match the mini, which we also love for smaller rooms.

 

[otozuz]

I got the first one at $199, loved the sound quality, waited for another sale and got the second one for $199. I love the stereo pairing, it really fills my apartment. And soon they will be vintage collector products! 😜

I don't think I would have ever bought them at $299 (let alone the original $349).

 

[Unregistered 4U]

the list of failed and discontinued Apple products grows

And will continue to grow as long as they’re in business. But, I mean, that can be said about ANY company.

 

[CptnJustc]

Ugh, feel like I might have to go for one. Not feeling great about not getting sale price this time, but I am 100% the target customer and was just holding out hope for an outside chance we'd see an update soon. Love the sound, very Apple-centric home, and the family makes extensive use of the intercom feature, but we're lacking coverage in one room that we could use some good sound in...

 

[turbineseaplane]

Ugh, feel like I might have to go for one. Not feeling great about not getting sale price this time, but I am 100% the target customer and was just holding out hope for an outside chance we'd see an update soon. Love the sound, very Apple-centric home, and the family makes extensive use of the intercom feature, but we're lacking coverage in one room that we could use some good sound in...

Don't get FOMO'd into buying a discontinued product.

There was only ever one major production run (even brand new ones still have 2018-ish dates) and if anything happens, there won't be stock to replace them for you (at least at some point - no way to know the stock Apple might hold back -- and there certainly are many reports of issues a couple years in, so it's not impossible to imagine).

It's not a great product to count on long term unless you are ok with it just being totally dead money at some point here.

 

[Dominicanyor]

I’m just going waiting for the price to drop again.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Ironic that everyone wants the gray one. I got a white one, and then read that there are instructions somewhere on the internets for taking the sleeve off and dying it a different color. Well, I don't think Apple Care would like that. Guess I have 2 years to wait to try that. Maybe orange, with a face on it...

 

[AppleMad98004]

I wonder if Apple TV is next? It hasn't been updated for about the same length of time and uses the same outdated processor.