Apple HomePod
The Apple HomePod launched February 9, 2018 for $349 as Apple’s premium smart speaker, emphasizing audio quality over voice assistant features. The 7” tall speaker featured 7 tweeters, 4” woofer, and Apple’s A8 chip for spatial awareness and computational audio—audiophile hardware priced 3.5x higher than Amazon Echo ($99) and Google Home ($129).
Sound Quality Focus
HomePod’s sound quality impressed reviewers, rivaling $500+ bookshelf speakers with room-aware automatic tuning that adjusted EQ based on wall proximity. The 360-degree audio distribution and beamforming created immersive soundstages. But the $349 price targeted audiophiles, not casual Alexa buyers.
Siri’s Limitations
Siri lagged Google Assistant and Alexa in smart home compatibility, third-party skills, and general knowledge. HomePod initially lacked multi-room audio, stereo pairing, and third-party music services (Spotify support arrived 2020). Early adopters complained about white rings left on wood furniture from vibrations.
Market Failure & Discontinuation
HomePod captured only 4.7% smart speaker share versus Amazon’s 53% and Google’s 31% (2019). Apple discontinued the original HomePod in March 2021 after just 3 years, pivoting to HomePod mini ($99, November 2020). The mini’s competitive pricing found modest success, selling 8+ million units in year one.
HomePod 2nd Gen Revival
Apple surprisingly revived full-size HomePod in January 2023 at $299, adding temperature/humidity sensors and Matter smart home support. The S7 chip (from Apple Watch) replaced A8. Critics questioned demand given the original’s failure and Sonos’s superior ecosystem.
HomePod proved Apple couldn’t win every market by being premium. Audio quality alone didn’t justify 3x competitor prices when Siri lagged. The delayed smart home features and Apple Music lock-in alienated mainstream buyers.
Sources:
- Apple HomePod announcement, June 5, 2017
- Apple HomePod discontinuation, March 12, 2021
- Strategy Analytics smart speaker market share 2018-2023