Apple discontinued one of its latest products just three years after its launch – BGR

Apple’s HomePod was an incredible device in terms of acoustic performance in every way, but the $ 349 price tag, not to mention a debut that was delayed until early 2018, prevented it from having an impact on the market for smart speakers. While the HomePod sounded incredible because of Apple’s sound engineering, it ultimately failed to gain a significant chunk of market share from competitors like Amazon and Google.

And so, about three years after its launch, Apple discontinued the HomePod over the weekend. TechCrunch announced the news on Friday and relays that Apple is still going to manufacture the HomePod mini and will repeat it on the device in the future.

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While Apple’s decision here may be a blow to audiophiles looking for a capable device that can’t break the bank, the simple reality is that most consumers are not willing to pay a premium for ‘ a superior-sounding speaker if you buy a perfectly serviceable Amazon Echo for $ 99. Historically, Apple has been able to pay a premium for late-to-market devices by focusing on a first-class user experience. However, the HomePod just could not find meaningful appeal with consumers.

By the way, Apple would eventually drop the price of the HomePod to $ 299 in April 2019, but the move is considered by many to be too little too late.

Another factor that contributed to the demise of the HomePod is that Siri simply could not compete with the range of features that one could find with similar smart speakers from Google and Amazon. Another gripe that potential buyers had was that the HomePod did not support Spotify, the most popular music streaming service on the planet. Of course, Apple wanted close integration with Apple Music, but the attempt to keep Spotify off the playing field undoubtedly cost him some sales.

Apple will continue to sell existing HomePods that it already has in stock, but no new devices will be manufactured in the future.

On the matter, Apple has the following statement to TechCrunch:

HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers incredible sound, an intelligent assistant and smart home management for just $ 99. We focus our efforts on HomePod mini. We discontinue the original HomePod, it will still be available while stocks last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores and Apple Authorized Retailers. Apple provides HomePod software updates and service and support through Apple Care.

Apple’s HomePod mini has many of the same shortcomings as its larger predecessor, but the price of $ 99 for the device makes it much easier to overlook these shortcomings. And while the sound quality of the HomePod mini is not as good as you would get with the original HomePod, the fact is that most consumers are not audiophiles and probably can not make much of a difference.

Apple never released specific sales figures for the HomePod, but we have to think that sales were incredibly low to develop a product that reportedly took five years.

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