The HomePod mini next to the original HomePod.
Chris Monroe / CNET
Apple said on Friday that it has applied its original HomePod and will focus its attention on the smaller version of its smart home assistant, the HomePod Mini.
“We are discontinuing the original HomePod, it will still be available while stocks last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers,” Apple said in a statement. “We focus on HomePod mini.”
Read more: Apple HomePod Mini Features You Need to Know: Every Tip and Trick We Found
Apple will continue to provide software updates and support to existing HomePods through Apple Care, the company said.
The HomePod Mini was launched in November last year and costs $ 99 compared to the $ 300 HomePod original. When it was released in 2018, CNET judge Megan Wollerton praised his “stars” sound, but said it does not offer as many features as competing speakers powered by Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant. “If you and everyone you live with have an Apple device and are sold on having a smart Apple home, the HomePod is worth a closer look,” she wrote at the time.
The HomePod Mini received equally strong praise from CNET judge Molly Price for its sound when it was released in 2020, noting that the lower price made it much more attractive. “The HomePod Mini is just as similar as what Apple wants to do with the Google and Amazon offerings, and I would recommend it to anyone investing in the Apple universe,” she wrote.