Apple Lowers Price of HomePod

It's pretty uncommon to see a price drop on current Apple products. The closest you'll really see for current-generation products are if they're refurbished or for an education discount. However, it seems that even Apple can't deny that you can't sell HomePod in its current state for $349. They've dropped it down to $299, down $50. While this is still too high in my opinion, it's definitely a step in the right direction. If Apple lowers the price, retailers will lower the price even more, possibly lowering it to an acceptable price eventually. 

The Ying-Yang Relationship of the Smart Music Industry

I bash a lot on the HomePod and often compare it to the Google Home and the Amazon Echo. I think a lot of people see it as a failure that has a lot of obvious flaws. It's easy the point out the obvious when it comes to HomePod and its competition. So, in the smart speaker market, Apple is floundering compared to its competitors. But things get interesting when we look at the opposite of a smart speaker: smart headphones. AirPods has been absolutely dominating this market, becoming an icon in modern culture. AirPods are instantly recognizable and have had constant press for the two years they've been on the market. Meanwhile, it's hard to name one single competitor. With rumors of Amazon potentially making their own competitor, it will be interesting if they will take off like the Amazon Echo did, or flop into an endless sea of AirPods competitors.

HomePod in 2019

From the very beginning, we all had a hunch that HomePod wasn't going to do well. It's an over-priced speaker that can't compete with the functionality of other smart speakers. That being said, it's almost been a year since HomePod came out, and Apple's stance on HomePod seems to have taken quite the turn. In December, Alexa began supporting Apple Music, basically eliminating any reason to buy HomePod other than a few small features. In January, Apple began supporting third-party TV manufacturers to integrate AirPlay 2 into them, which can effectively replace HomePod and Apple TV. There are occasional murmurs about Apple creating a better follow up to the HomePod, but putting resources into that seems like a waste at the moment. A better solution would be to crank Siri R&D up to 11, as Siri is often seen as a joke compared to Google Home and Alexa. If Siri gets smarter, current HomePod owners will have more functionality. When Siri is made better, HomePod can have a better reputation and a next-generation HomePod could stand a chance in the smart speaker market.

HomePod Discounted to Apple Music Subscribers in the U.K.

HomePod's biggest problem is the ridiculous price of $350. Target had an offer on HomePods that made it $250 this week, which would be a more appropriate regular price, at least for Apple. Now, Apple is offering those in the U.K. £50 off of HomePod. That's roughly $60 in the U.S., which could eventually translate to a $50 discount. Apple Music subscribers definitely should have a discount on HomePod. Either that, or HomePod comes with three months of Apple Music. The offer lasts until December 16, and there's no work if this discount will expand to other countries.

Apple Sells Refurbished HomePod

While a refurbished listing doesn't usually spark too much discussion, the first refurbished HomePod listings have appeared on Apple's online store. And they sell for $299. That's just $50 less than the regular price. With little to no spotlight on the HomePod for sometime, it's unclear what Apple's plan for the HomePod is. I would highly recommend not buying HomePod at this price. Hopefully, we get a cheaper, better HomePod next year.

HomePod's Current Popularity

HomePod at the moment is a hard sell for many. With Alexa's detachment from any smartphone and cheaper price, many opt for an Amazon Echo. According to a survey on smart speaker ownership Strategy Analytics, Amazon Echo makes up 23 percent of their sample. This is just the Amazon Echo and doesn't include other models like the Echo Dot, which comes in second place at 21 percent. HomePod is at ninth place with a mere four percent. Between ninth and second are just a variety of Google Home and Amazon Echo models dominating the rankings.

HomePod Releasing in Three New Countries Monday

Apple will finally be bringing the HomePod to Canada, France, and Germany this Monday. HomePod was previously only available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Despite this, HomePod has not changed much since launch, aside from AirPlay 2. Many critics, including myself, have made note of Siri’s disappointing abilities. Given how popular smart speakers are in America, we’ll see how HomePod fares in other countries. 

Beats HomePod

According to Sina, Apple is planning a budget HomePod to be released under the Beats brand. This speaker would cost $199, compared to the $329 current HomePod. This is a pretty sketchy report. I honestly doubt this, but it could be true. The idea of saying the Beats brand is the budget brand doesn't feel right. That's not to say Apple's is the budget brand either, but Apple has done a good job thus far having the two brands co-exist without fighting each other. I fully believe we are getting a budget HomePod, but probably not under the Beats brand.

HomePod Sales Cut

Apple is beginning to notice the repercussions of the HomePod's rushed production. According to Bloomberg, Apple has cut the amount of HomePods produced due to poor sales. Some stores have supposedly sold less than 10 units a day. I think a lot of this is due to a lack of innovation on Apple's part. I've gone on many times before about how this is Apple playing catchup with the smart speaker market and how HomePod had potential that isn't here at launch. I do believe that HomePod sales will pick up when AirPlay 2 comes out, but not significantly. If sales do pick up significantly, it will likely be the holiday season, potentially a Black Friday sale. Additionally, if Siri can do significantly more in iOS 12, this would also drive up sales. For now, there isn't much reason to buy a HomePod. Maybe we'll hear more about it at WWDC this year.

Apple Over-Ear Headphones Concept

There have been some rumors of Apple developing a pair of high-end over-ear headphones under the Apple brand. With AirPods, EarPods, and HomePod, I'm guessing this could be called HeadPods. Just a random guess. Curved.de stepped in and made their concept for (Over)EarPods. I love the inspiration it takes from HomePod. However, I'm not sure if there would be much use for the LED panel on the side. I do like it design-wise, but I don't see much potential for it. I wouldn't mind seeing this with USB-C or Lightning support, as opposed to the micro-USB connector of the Beats brand. Be sure to check out the video below for a full concept.

HomePod at WWDC

Full disclosure: this entire article is just my own speculation. So, this June will be the first WWDC with the HomePod officially released. We first saw the HomePod announced at WWDC '17. I think it's important to remember that WWDC is meant for developers primarily, but in this year, it's very clear it is much more aimed towards the general public. Last year, new iPads were announced at the end of the conference. Despite that, Apple makes an effort to focus on software previews so developers can prepare their apps for the new technologies introduced. So, it wouldn't be out of the question to believe that HomePod would make an appearance with a software preview. While there is no "homeOS," I believe Apple would tie a HomePod update into the iOS segment. They will probably announce a new API that would allow developers to create new Siri commands just for HomePod. While I believe this feature should've been at launch, this would fall in line with watchOS 2. watchOS 2 was announced about two months after the original Apple Watch was released. I remember watching it and seeing features that should've been available at launch in watchOS 2. From this, when we see Apple products released early in the year with obvious holes and missing features in them, we can expect them in a update announced at WWDC. And I believe Apple will do exactly that.

Apple Making High End Headphones

While Apple owns the Beats brand and sells headphones under their name, Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple is developing headphones under the Apple brand. These are supposed to be high-end over-ear headphones. If so, this would be a great complement to AirPods and HomePod. HomePod has received praise for its sound quality. I wouldn't be surprised if it was released under the "Air" name. Perhaps they may make a "Pro" name. There is supposed to be an all-new design as well. This is a complete toss-up, but I would expect Apple to do something unexpected with the traditional over-ear headphone design.

HomePod Coasters

Just after the news of HomePod leaving white marks on certain wood surfaces, Pad & Quill have announced an accessory that will hopefully prevent this. It's a low-profile coaster for the HomePod. They're Leather HomePod Coasters. If not for this white mark thing, this product would have next to zero attention. It probably would've reminded me a bit of the pointless Apple Pencil case that retails for $29.00 on Apple's website. But this actually serves a purpose for some. They're available in Whiskey and Chestnut for $19.95 each [Direct Link].

HomePod May Leave White Marks on Wood

The HomePod has a silicone base to dampen vibrations created by the speaker. However, this may lead to your HomePod leaving white rings on your wood if it has an oil or wax finish. While these rings should eventually fade, it's creating a good amount of buzz from some owners. You can use a damp cloth to help remove the marks, but to avoid them all together, consider a different surface to place your HomePod on.

Image Credit: Wirecutter

Users Give Impressions of HomePod

HomePod is finally out, and users have been sharing their impressions. The general consensus is that HomePod deliveries amazing audio quality, which is obviously good considering it streams most of its music from Apple Music. Another point of agreement owners have is how well it picks up the phrase “Hey Siri.” Raj Deut on Twitter notes that the touch controls on top of HomePod can get very cluttered with fingerprints. Hopefully, we’ll see some Siri updates considering how on-par the hardware is. 

HomePod is Half Off for Apple Employees

I’ve had a lot of gripes about HomePod’s price. I’m not a fan of the $349 price tag, especially when Apple (and many reporters) say the experience is best with two. But it looks like Apple employees will be getting the HomePod at a steal, according to their claims on Twitter. Around $175 each. That seems much more worth it. It’s just over the price of AirPods. It also makes it $350 for two, instead of $700 for two. Let that sink in. It makes me want to work for Apple before I buy a HomePod. 

HomePod Audio Sources

A week before the HomePod's launch, we now know every way HomePod can be delivered audio [Source: HomePod Tech Specs]. Obviously, there's Apple Music, which lets users stream millions of songs. There's also the user's iTunes library, iCloud Music Library, audiobooks, and podcasts. HomePod also has access to Beats 1, Apple Music's live radio station. Finally, and most importantly, there's AirPlay. This is essentially a digital AUX cable for HomePod, where any outputted audio from a compatible device (i.e. an iPhone) will be streamed to the HomePod. That being said, there is no native third-party support for apps like Spotify. Hopefully, Apple expands this eventually.

HomePod Updates Will Be Installed Through Home App

Because there currently isn't a formal "homeOS," HomePod will be updated through an iOS device and the Home app. HomePod runs a flavor of iOS, which isn't too crazy [Source: 9to5Mac]. Apple TV ran iOS at one point, and it's now tvOS. What's interesting is if we'll get yearly updates at WWDC regarding HomePod's software. Maybe at one point, they'll merge tvOS and HomePod's software to create homeOS.

Image Credit: 9to5Mac

How to Make HomePod Compete with Alexa

Tim Cook has been cited to say that Apple welcomes competition and that HomePod has some features that differentiate itself from the competition. Which, to some subjective sense, is true. But I wouldn't say they make me buy a $349 HomePod versus a $149 Echo Plus. So here are some ideas that would make HomePod different than the competition. HomePod is in the Apple ecosystem and Apple is all about continuity. Apple should implement a NFC sensor in the HomePod, so if I want to handoff my audio from my iPhone to my HomePod. Obviously, Bluetooth would still be a connection option, but being able to quickly switch audio with a physical tap would be nice. Building on that, if the HomePod could wirelessly charge my iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPods, that would make it a nice smart hub centerpiece to any house. Finally, iBeacon is a technology Apple created a few years ago to help determine indoor location. If Apple could implement iBeacon to help determine which room I'm in, Apple has a lot of potential. I could have automations go off by walking into a room. I could ask Siri to turn on "the fan" or "the light." It would know which fan I'm referring to because it knows what room I'm in. If I had multiple HomePods or Apple TVs, it would know the best way to stream audio or video and where to listen for "Hey, Siri." I think these ideas would set HomePod apart from the competition.

HomePod Release Details

HomePod finally has a release date. You can pre-order it this Friday, and expect it to come February 9. The recent iOS 11.2.5 update adds HomePod support. However, AirPlay 2 is not available and won't be until later this year. A bit of a shame, but at least we've finally gotten some details about this device. In my opinion, it seems a bit unfinished. It just focuses on sound, but not on the experience, which is what Apple should do to set them apart from most high fidelity speakers. Siri isn't smart enough to compete with Alexa. Apple needs to focus on getting Siri on track to provide a strong framework for their smart speaker.