It sounds like Apple‘s insanely expensive HomePod just couldn’t live up to the hype, as the company has reportedly pulled the plug on the product. Although Apple promised a cutting-edge, competitive smart speaker, Amazon Echo and Google Home have already taken over.
“We want to reinvent home music.” – Apple CEO, Tim Cook
That was the goal as Apple dove headfirst into the smart speaker market.
Perhaps it was the $350 price tag that just didn’t catch on with music fans. After all, the Amazon Echo and Google Home retail for $100 and $129, respectively. Although iPhone users have an ongoing relationship with Siri, bringing her into the home is expensive af.
These are only reports but Bloomberg, Business Insider, and more are reporting the same thing. Particularly disappointing sales in March are apparently a huge part of Apple’s decision.
Sources: Bloomberg, Business Insider
Buyers who got gouged should ask for their money back.
Big difference between dialing back production and pulling the plug.
Did you even read the sources you referenced? You are everything that is wrong with news today.
I love my HomePods, I’m fine with the price, well worth it for what you get. Problem is people comparing the HomePod with a Amazon Echo, and it’s an apple and oranges comparison.
Good for you.
Why is it like comparing Apples to oranges? The HomePod is clearly a direct competitor to Amazon, Google and Sonos smart speakers. The difference being that the HomePod has limited voice control functionality and a lot less to offer than any of the competitors. I agree that the sound quality is great but that’s not the primary reason you by a smart speaker.
Different target audiences, different product goals. The HomePod isn’t a smart speaker, hasn’t been marketed as one, it’s been marketed as a music player with AI integration. A Google Home, and Amazon Alexa aren’t music players in the sense that Sonos is or the HomePod. Sonos isn’t marketed as a smart speaker either. Yeah a HomePod is more expensive, but as someone that does smart home build outs for a living there’s a huge difference between them. My clients aren’t using Google Home or Alexa devices as a home audio system. Sonos and HomePods fill the role of multi-room home audio, they just have AI integration to boot. In the past 2 months 75% of my client Billings has been for houses with smart lighting and HomePods installs.
Personally, I’ll take Siri and my privacy over the data mining of Google and Amazon. Siri may not be as capable as Alexa or Googlr Assistant but I’ve yet to have an issue with it controlling any of my smart home products.
Exactly this is trash journalism by a garbage publication