One of the things Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his latest newsletter is that Apple is working on a new HomePod model, which will look and sound similar to the original.
That’s somewhat surprising, as Apple discontinued the 1st-gen model well over a year ago, though it took quite some time to sell its existing stock. So why would Apple relaunch a commercially unsuccessful product, and what could have a similar one succeed? I suspect three factors …
The original HomePod
Apple first announced the HomePod back in June 2017, declaring that the “breakthrough” product would “reinvent home music”:
Apple today announced HomePod, a breakthrough wireless speaker for the home that delivers amazing audio quality and uses spatial awareness to sense its location in a room and automatically adjust the audio […]
HomePod features a large, Apple-designed woofer for deep, clean bass, a custom array of seven beam-forming tweeters that provide pure high frequency acoustics with incredible directional control and powerful technologies built right in to preserve the richness and intent of the original recordings […]
“Apple reinvented portable music with iPod and now HomePod will reinvent how we enjoy music wirelessly throughout our homes,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “HomePod packs powerful speaker technology, Siri intelligence and wireless access to the entire Apple Music library into a beautiful speaker that is less than 7 inches tall, can rock most any room with distortion free music and be a helpful assistant around your home.”
I was skeptical, but tried one anyway, and was immediately impressed. Indeed, the more I listened to it, the more impressed I became – especially when we finally got stereo-pairing.
Apple’s most misunderstood product
Unfortunately, not too many people agreed with me. I suggested that this was in large part because they were comparing it with the wrong things.
Yes, if you think of the HomePod as an IA device, it is too expensive and too large. But if you think of it as a highly sophisticated speaker system, using beam-forming technology that debuted in speakers costing five figures and only relatively recently made it into four-figure ones, then they are both impressively compact and surprisingly affordable […]
It’s time to stop comparing them to tinny speakers costing $50, and start thinking of them as really good audio kit at a never-before-seen price point.
I think Apple partly had itself to blame, having failed to properly promote HomePod as a high-quality speaker which also contained built-in Siri smarts.
The HomePod mini
The HomePod mini is a completely different product to the original. Instead of delivering really good sound quality at a remarkably affordable price, Apple instead took the opposite tack. Unusually, it started with an affordable price, then tried to figure out what kind of sound quality it could give us for that price.
Please don’t misunderstand me: I think the HomePod mini absolutely has its place. If you want a really affordable multi-room speaker system, it’s a decent option. I think Apple was completely right to launch the product, and it has understandably proven very popular.
But … it’s no HomePod.
Three reasons a relaunched HomePod original can sell
The big question is, if the original HomePod sold in such disappointing volumes that Apple discontinued it without a replacement, what has changed?
Gurman doesn’t give us any detail, but does say that it will ‘look and sound similar to the original version.’ So if this is basically a relaunch of the original, what will have this one sell when the old one didn’t? I’m guessing three reasons …
The HomePod mini effect
First, a lot of people now have the HomePod mini. They like the design, they are happy with the sound, but by now many will have discovered the limitations of the device in terms of both audio quality and volume. They may now be ready for something bigger and better for the lounge, while the minis continue to serve other rooms.
Others may reach the same conclusion I did: that it’s hard to live without the convenience once you’re used to it, and the original HomePod offers good enough quality for most listening.
Most of us aren’t willing to accept audio quality we perceive to be poor, but when the difference is ‘great’ versus ‘really good,’ then the convenience factor does come into play. And for me, HomePod audio quality ticks the ‘really good’ box.
It’s not B&O. It’s not Naim. But the sound quality is really good. Good enough that I’ve been perfectly happy with it for casual and background listening.
And that, in truth, is most of my music listening these days. There are still times when I really want to immerse myself in music, and that’s when the difference between ‘really good’ and ‘great’ makes itself heard. But the rest of the time, the difference doesn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the music.
So the convenience comes more to the fore. And the ability to simply tell HomePod what to play – both directly and indirectly – is pretty addictive. Once you experience it, it’s hard to be without it. It actually feels like a bit of a chore with my other speakers to have to open an app and select my music that way.
Colors
Even high-end audio companies discovered that people like to be able to match their decor (or perhaps have a color accent in a monochrome room). That’s why companies frequently offer different color grilles for their speaker systems.
A significant part of the appeal of the HomePod mini is that it looks super-cute! The color choice means it can fit in with pretty much any home or room color scheme.
So it seems exceedingly likely that Apple will offer the same color choice in the relaunched big brother.
Price
Consumers were unwilling to pay $349, and a subsequent price-drop showed that reducing it to $299 still wasn’t enough.
The fact that Apple is planning to relaunch it must mean that the company can now beat this price, without sacrificing much or anything in the way of sound quality. Perhaps saving money by swapping out the A8 chip for the S8 expected to be used in the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8. This should have the performance needed, and the S8 will be basically the same as the S7 which is basically the same as the S6. Perhaps better efficiency through resourcing some components.
However the company achieves it, I’d expect a maximum price-tag of $249 – and maybe it will even manage to get closer to $199.
If Apple can deliver the same sound-quality, and the same beam-forming technology, at that price point, it will represent a truly incredible buy.
What are your thoughts? Do you think a relaunched original HomePod in matching colors and a lower price will turn it into a hit product? Will you buy one or more? Please share in the comments.
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