Apple Homepod Discountinued (Mini Not Affected)

jimbobaus on 13/03/2021 - 13:53
Last edited 13/03/2021 - 13:53

Apple has today confirmed the HomePod is being discontinued with immediate effect.
The HomePod will continue to get software updates etc but hardware will only be sold until existing store supply runs out.

If you were planning on creating a stereo pair or were interested in getting one now would be the time to start looking.
its believed that heavy discounting will not occur as the product is still being supported, but stores will be unable to replenish stock once they sell out.

The mini has been very successful for Apple and they intend to focus on this product going forward.

https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/12/apple-discontinues-origina…

Personally if Apple made HomeKit more accessible there would be a larger range of smart home products that would have made the HomePod a worthwhile invetsment.

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Comments

  • Hybroid on 13/03/2021 - 13:55
    +6

    As a fan of Apple iOS products, that's what happens when they restrict the HomePod so much and don't even include basic bluetooth pairing to it… I will hand it to them that the audio quality is absolutely fantastic but it's not enough to justify the price.

    • Blue Cat on 13/03/2021 - 16:16

      Spot on, inability to pair any Bluetooth device to use as a speaker was their biggest downfall… and nobody knows why Apple did it.

      I am glad this happened, in a way that this is a lesson to all wireless speaker manufacturers not to try this stuff ever again.

      • GnarlyKnuckles on 14/03/2021 - 01:31
        +1

        Ahh, lol … I can only laugh re 'inability to pair any Bluetooth device to use as a speaker' (etc.) …

        This is just another in a long line of decades of examples of Apple arrogantly/staunchly/annoyingly (for their 'clients'; of which I've never been one) maintaining a complete lack of cross-platform compatibility coupled with ludicrous pricing that ultimately comes back to bite them on the ass. The only thing keeping Apple relevant is the iPhone … If they keep going on their current 'exclusionist/delusional-elitest' trajectory, even that will ultimately fall into deep decline in years to come.

  • Morien on 13/03/2021 - 13:57
    +1

    Hopefully it will be reduced to clear soon then. Not that anyone stocks it other than Officeworks and Apple.

    Honestly, having used all three voice assistants in the context of home automation, I much prefer Homekit. It's quicker, and doesn't require an active internet connection (so when the net goes down I don't have to get up). Having said that though, I have had to employ Homebridge to get some of my stuff working. That is a big barrier of entry for many.

    • jimbobaus on 13/03/2021 - 14:10

      In US apple have confirmed they will not be doing any discounting, but who knows what the plan is for Aus.
      I for one am going to wait a bit and see.

      • Morien on 13/03/2021 - 15:34

        Nah, Apple never do, but hopefully OW will. It was on clearance at HN, GG and JB for $298 for months last year, with OW matching that, but when they all unlisted it, OW put the price back up.

        • Associatedstickyfingers @ Apple on 14/03/2021 - 02:30

          Yeah I picked one up at the good guys for $265ish. I hope they get back around that price as I’d love to have a pair.

  • verio on 13/03/2021 - 15:18
    +1

    It is a strange decision by Apple, considering that the Mini is definitely not the same and you won’t put it next to a TV.

    I get that the HomePod was not successful but it makes more sense to release a new version of it to fix that rather than abandon it.

  • haemolysis on 13/03/2021 - 17:06

    It wouldn’t have been hard for them to make it a more viable product. Make it portable with USB-C and a battery, open up the Bluetooth, if they had stereo pairing from day 1 (as opposed to a long awaited update)… let you use a competent voice assistant (Google)… maybe make it repairable. But Apple rather let the product die than embrace a bit of openness. They thought they could sell a premium product that can only reliably open Apple Music. Riiiight.

    • Kayrhcp on 13/03/2021 - 17:25
      +2

      That’s a different product entirely though. You’re describing a portable speaker, this is a smart home device with supreme sound. A dumb smart home device, but one nonetheless

      • haemolysis on 13/03/2021 - 18:16
        +1

        Maybe so. But that doesn’t make me wrong! Probably would have done better that way. And regardless, there’s the other points unrelated to portability. In the end, it failed.

  • Kayrhcp on 13/03/2021 - 17:26

    Surely they’ll make a HomePod 2 right? Sometime in the future? There’s a market for a premium smart home hub like HomePod for sure. Just better features and nowhere near as expensive.

  • bdl on 13/03/2021 - 19:24

    Sonos 1 : Apple 0

    • jimbobaus on 13/03/2021 - 22:04

      Actually everyone else 1

      Sonos is not winning at all… loosing money hand over fist. Trying to enter every market to claw back market share (think it’s Bluetooth portable speakers this week LOL)

      • participant123xyz on 14/03/2021 - 09:49

        Hmmm. Maybe I have rose tinted glasses as I quite like the Sonos system from an ease of use perspective but I actually think their new speaker is quite a nifty product at least from my use case.

        I’ll generally have it as a permanent speaker in one of the kid’s rooms which I can then move out into the back of the garden and keep the multi room capabilities when I have people over or a party. Then I can also take with me when I’m travelling or going on holidays and need a Bluetooth speaker rather than having a separate one for this purpose.

        Not really aware of a product which has the same multi room and travelling capabilities - maybe the heos but tbh haven’t really looked into it.

        FWIW Their share price has almost doubled this year so the market at least seems to think they’re doing something right.

  • Associatedstickyfingers @ Apple on 16/03/2021 - 16:19

    Anybody spotted any clearance prices yet? JB and HN have both removed it from their website. Still on OW but no discount.

    • jimbobaus on 17/03/2021 - 08:50

      Apple in US confirmed they won't be discounting as they do not consider it a "clearance" product.
      Not sure if AUS plans to follow suit however

    • BlipBlipBoo on 15/06/2021 - 16:05

      Looks like Officeworks has it now for $419, basically $50 off the RRP at Apple of $469.

      https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/apple-home…

      Not as good as the $299 etc, but I got one since I'm unsure how many units are in stock around the place, in the white.

      I'll be watching closely over the next few weeks…if anyone knows of other retailers please advise!

      • Associatedstickyfingers @ Apple on 15/06/2021 - 16:21

        I ended up buying a second one from Marketplace.
        It's absolutely awesome having a stereo pair but the used one pops every half hour or so which sucks.

        Haven't seen any other sales, thanks for posting about OW.

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