Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
HomePod Price drops = Refresh Imminent?
- Thread starter rhyzome
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Like everything Apple, if they don’t see high sales from a product on day one then they put it on minimal life support. Great designers but zero grit. Home audio is definitely not going to be their focus. Apple has yet to really commit to Siri, much less home audio, and their HomePod experience has killed any chance of them ever doing so.
So they’ll either make a slightly modified version of the existing HomePod at the same price, just to keep something in the market and milk what they can out of the design with minimal outlay, or they’ll make a smaller and cheaper version to better compete with Alexa devices. Probably both.
So they’ll either make a slightly modified version of the existing HomePod at the same price, just to keep something in the market and milk what they can out of the design with minimal outlay, or they’ll make a smaller and cheaper version to better compete with Alexa devices. Probably both.
Last edited:
Apple should abandon Apple TV (the hockey puck) and embrace Apple TV (the flat panel display) in 55", 65", and 75" sizes. The TV can have the center channel speaker integrated. HomePod's of some sort for fronts and rears. Apple TV UI and all the app goodness. Finally make it easy for all to buy an all-in-one home theater solution as a way to drive content on Apple TV+
It's 10-13 years since most upgraded to HDTV's and most haven't upgraded to 4K. It's still as confusing as ever for the average consumer to set up a decent home theater. The market is ripe and Apple needs to do something to maximize streaming video the way they have streaming audio.
AppleTV is the poster child of Apple’s refusal to put effort into any market that doesn’t come easy. But their solution is to transform the product into software and license it to manufacturers. I don’t see them making screens.
The HomePod isn’t a good choice for home theater. It’s an omnidirectional go anywhere speaker.
The HomePod isn’t a good choice for home theater. It’s an omnidirectional go anywhere speaker.
Last edited:
I think Apple is running out of runway on mobile devices and Plus is a dud. Shifting into another CE category right now? The only one that makes sense, is tied to profit-making subscription services, and actually addresses a real consumer need is an all-in-one home theater around a flat panel display. Yes, doubtful. But it would be cool.
The problem with that, though, is that people will wait the same timeframe again to upgrade their Apple TV ( TV ), whereas people are more likely to replace up a ATV ( puck ) if it offers enough of an incentive. I think they should expand the HomePod as a brand, and introduce a more home theatre specific version. Apple HomePod TV here we come
Why anyone would think abandoning the AppleTV hardware is a good idea is just hilarious. It’s a profit center, costs them little to build and yet makes them money every month.
It’s why they are also building it into tvs now.
And there is zero chance they will ever give it up just to make tvs. They’d lose millions of dollars on that.
Adding a home theater centric HomePod branded sound bar with wireless rears and a sub would be interesting. I’d expect it’s price in the 1k to 15k range though. I’d like to see that.
It’s why they are also building it into tvs now.
And there is zero chance they will ever give it up just to make tvs. They’d lose millions of dollars on that.
Adding a home theater centric HomePod branded sound bar with wireless rears and a sub would be interesting. I’d expect it’s price in the 1k to 15k range though. I’d like to see that.
I gotta chime in as a former Microsoft guy (windows phone, PC, outlook, office, etc). You haven’t seen abandonware until youve bought into Microsoft ecosystem. So many ideas platforms hardware etc abandoned on a whim. They’ll introduce or buy out a product or service, shuffle things around needlessly, complicate things, ruin it, and then shut it down saying it wasn’t viable. I saw it so many times, when I came to Apple trust me they definitely stick with a product. When they release something they RELEASE it. And support it
They don’t need to abandon it, but they’ve taken it as far as it can go short of replacing the awful remote. All TV’s come with all the popular apps now including Apple TV (the app) and even 4K panels are cheap now. Apple TV (the puck) is as good as gone.
Like HomePod, the hardware can lose money because the subscription service more than pays the bills. Apple Music and Apple TV+ subscriptions, Apple Arcade....they can lose money on Apple TV (the proposed flat panel) because streaming music/video/games are massive cashflow generators.
It's a cool product, I have no grudge (except the remote). Just speculating that Apple needs to do something a bit different to keep things exciting and fresh. Platforms and software are nice, but we need a good ol' kick in the face piece of hardware to get us all pumped up and buying again.
And once you go through desktop, notebook, internet, audio, telephony, photography, gaming, IOT, car stereo.....they're running out of space to grow, at least grow dramatically. The TV is the glaring omission. Better put, the living room is the glaring omission. And I think with their expertise in screens of all shapes and sizes over the years they're uniquely positioned to take over the one area of the CE experience they haven't mastered.
Give me a 65" 4K TV with a magically integrated in-cabinet soundbar plus 4 or 6 TheaterPods and it brings together all the pieces. Home Theater done the Apple way. More powerful, easier to use. Siri for everything. Minutes to set up.
To be honest, I’d love to see an all in one home entertainment system by Apple that will receive software support for the next 5+ years with everything ATV currently offers and then some. I’m fully immersed in the ecosystem as it is and the more in house products they make, the better. It’s not a perfect ecosystem (bugs, glitches, etc), but it is leaps and bounds better than than the other guys.
With regards to ATV though, it’s a lot easier and more cost efficient to replace a streaming box than a whole TV.
To be clear, I don't think they're going to drop AppleTV (box), AppleTV (app), or AppleTV (service). I'm just commenting on their inability to walk and chew gum at the same time, and they seemingly never keep projects well staffed unless they're big hits. I'd be surprised if Apple has more than 5 people working on either the app or the box.
And I seriously doubt if they'll ever produce an AppleTV (TV).
And I seriously doubt if they'll ever produce an AppleTV (TV).