Speaking of the original HomePod, I came across something deeply disturbing during my search for used or refurbished models – not every owner of a white HomePod has treated their smart speaker as if it existed in Jony Ive’s white expanse.
As mentioned, I recently scored a used HomePod stereo pair for around $450. That was a $700 setup when HomePod first launched, so the price feels pretty fair. Both HomePods are white, and each speaker cover appears to be in pristine condition.
That’s not true of every white HomePod being sold secondhand, however. Some sellers are listing white HomePods that appear to have partially survived the asteroid that killed all the dinosaurs.
This is the first one that caught my attention for obvious reasons. The seller listed it as “like new,” and it sold. My guess is the buyer simply wanted to investigate what went so wrong in this HomePod’s four years on Earth.
Talk about patina. Poor thing appears to still work, but I bet the sound is muffled in smog.
Then there’s the white HomePod that appears to have been the unfortunate recipient of a stale cup of coffee. I’m unsure if that’s better or worse than the Smurf edition that was intentionally dyed…
Then there’s the unfortunate white HomePod that clearly got caught in an AirPower overheating event.
Top comment by Gazoobee
Looks like classic smoke/water damage to me on most of them. They've been through a fire or a flood. Sometimes I think half the stuff on eBay is just stuff that went through one of the US's hurricane/flood events.
The only bad thing here is that folks are lying about the condition these things are in and getting away with it.
The more I think about it, there is something cool about a well-worn white HomePod that fights to see another day… even if the touch panel has a deep cut here and there.
You have to give it to the OG HomePod. The thing is resilient! Just don’t mention the thing where it seemingly stops working after a few years of being handled with care.
I must conclude, though, that the owners of these formerly white HomePods should never be allowed to buy another white Apple product again…
How has your HomePod held up over the years? Any guesses as to how these gently used HomePods took on a layer of disappointment? Let us know in the comments!
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