Apple has removed all references to the original, full-sized HomePod from its website, months after officially discontinuing the smart speaker that struggled to reach mainstream adoption.
The removal of references to the original HomePod came as a result of brand new changes to Apple's website. With the new changes, Apple now only highlights the HomePod mini, which now comes in brand new colors.
Apple announced HomePod in 2018 as its first major home-centric product, focused around delivering high-quality audio combined with the integration into services, such as Apple Music and Siri.
Priced at $349 at launch and eventually decreased to $299, Apple struggled to market the HomePod in a way appealing to the masses, yielding lower sales than the company was likely aiming for. Additionally, Siri, which powers the HomePod experience, continues to grapple with catching up to the capabilities of Google's smart assistant and Amazon's Alexa.
Apple followed up the full-sized HomePod with the HomePod mini last year, and today added new colors for the smaller speaker. The HomePod mini features a significantly smaller design than the original HomePod, but continues to feature the same Siri experience, powered by Apple Music and third-party services. Unlike the original HomePod selling for $299, the HomePod mini is priced at $99. The HomePod mini recently became available in more countries, including Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand.
R.I.P. I have four of the original HPs and one Mini. The sound quality from the originals is amazing for their size. The Mini pales in comparison (and yes I know it's less expensive). The originals were perfect for an office or bedroom.
Apple this week made the HomePod mini available to order in New Zealand, with pricing set at $159 including tax. Available in Space Gray and White, the speaker currently faces a 2-3 weeks shipping estimate in the country.
Apple confirmed the HomePod mini would be launching in additional countries during its WWDC keynote earlier this month. The speaker became available to order in Austria and ...
Before deciding to discontinue the original HomePod, Apple had internally deliberated updating it to feature an improved processor, a move the tech giant may have seen as a last-ditch attempt to reignite demand for its smart speaker.
In a tidbit in his latest newsletter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman says that before discontinuing the HomePod, Apple "had internally discussed making a new...
Monday October 25, 2021 9:59 am PDT by Juli Clover
Alongside the iOS 15.1 update that was released today, Apple has introduced a new 15.1 software update that's designed for the HomePod and the HomePod mini.
The HomePod update introduces Lossless Audio and Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio to Apple's HomePods, bringing them in line with other devices that have supported the features since earlier this year. Lossless Audio is available on both the...
Apple was planning to launch an updated HomePod in 2022, prior to discontinuing the original HomePod, according to reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.
The original HomePod was announced in 2017, representing Apple's first foray into the competitive smart speaker market. The HomePod was never replaced with an updated model, despite the HomePod mini launching with new ultra-wideband...
Tuesday April 20, 2021 12:09 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced that the HomePod mini will be launching in additional countries in June, including Austria, New Zealand, and Ireland.
Pricing is set at €99 in Austria and Ireland, and $159 in New Zealand, with the usual space gray and white color options.
HomePod mini first launched in October 2020 in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan,...
Monday September 20, 2021 10:02 am PDT by Juli Clover
Alongside iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8, Apple today released new software that's designed for the HomePod and the HomePod mini. The HomePod 15 software update introduces several new features that are designed to work in tandem with tvOS and iOS. - Select a single or pair of HomePod mini as the default speakers for your Apple TV 4K for rich room-filling sound and clear dialogue. ...
The HomePod mini has dropped to $79.99 on Simply Mac today, down from its original price of $99.00. This is one of the first major discounts on the HomePod mini since it launched last year, and it's in stock in both Space Gray and White at this price on Simply Mac.
The HomePod mini is a smaller version of the HomePod, measuring in at 3.3 inches tall compared to the HomePod's 6.8-inch height. ...
Wednesday February 23, 2022 3:38 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple has added Dutch language voice recognition support for Siri in the latest HomePod 15.4 beta, further preparing the HomePod mini for release in the Netherlands in the near future.
The addition of voice recognition, spotted by iCulture, means HomePod or HomePod mini will be able to identify who is talking to it in a Dutch-speaking multi-person household so they can make personal requests ...
Apple earlier this week announced the discontinuation of the iPod touch, and because it was the last iPod still available for purchase, its sunsetting effectively marks the end of the entire iPod lineup.
To send the iPod on its way, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the most notable iPod releases over the last 21 years.
Original iPod (2001)
Introduced in October...
iOS 16 will include new ways of interacting with the system and some "fresh Apple apps," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said, offering some more detail on what Apple has in store for the upcoming release of iOS and iPadOS set to be announced in a few weeks at WWDC. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman wrote that while iOS 16 is not likely to introduce a major face-lift to...
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It's been over 200 days since Apple debuted its redesigned MacBook Pro lineup. Offered in 14-inch and 16-inch display sizes, the new-look MacBooks wowed Apple fans and creative pros alike with their powerful custom Apple silicon, mini-LED screen, and multiple connectivity options. But there are still some things you can't do with a MacBook Pro. Here are five features some Mac users are still...
While there are as yet no concrete rumors related to which devices iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 will support, the discontinuation of the iPod touch earlier this week may be an indication that as many as nine devices could be about to lose support for Apple's upcoming operating systems.
iOS and iPadOS 13, 14, and 15 support all of the same devices, with the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus,...
Apple has launched a special limited-time offer for iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad trade-in that offers customers additional credit when trading in their only device for a new one.
The offer is being run in several countries including the US, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, India, and France. In the UK, Apple is offering up to £50 of extra trade-in credit...
Sony's flagship WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones have been among the best on the market for some time, and today Sony announced its fifth-generation WH-1000XM5 headphones, boasting a new design and several improvements over the previous model.
The redesigned headphones replace the shrouded arms that swivel on the XM4's with an exposed arm that has a single contact point at the earcups,...
Apple plans to launch a new version of the Apple TV in the second half of 2022, according to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a tweet today, Kuo said the new Apple TV will have an improved cost structure, suggesting that the device could have a lower price that is more competitive with other streaming media players like Google's Chromecast line, Amazon's Fire TV line, and the Roku line. ...
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models will be available in a refreshed range of color options, including an all-new purple color, according to a recent rumor.
The claim comes from a post on Chinese social media site Weibo by an unverified source and purports to reveal the full range of color options for Apple's upcoming iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models. Compared to the selection of color...
Apple on March 14 released iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4, bringing Universal Control across iPad and Mac, support for Face ID while wearing a mask, new emojis, anti-stalking changes for AirTags, and more.
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