Encore: The Return of the HomePod
This HomePod is back! And this time, the sequel might actually be better than the original.
The HomePod is back! The big, bass-bumping, house-thumping HomePod has returned to Apple's lineup after a nearly 2-year absence. I have some thoughts.
HomePod History
First, a quick history lesson: Apple introduced the HomePod at WWDC 2017, though its release was delayed until February 2018. With a starting price of $349 and a minimal feature set (remember: stereo pairing, Handoff, and integration with third-party apps were not available at launch), the HomePod was an expensive and over-engineered smart speaker that made it hard to rave about. Of course, it sounded incredible, but what's incredible sound if costliness, limited connectivity and software limitations impair its functionality?
The HomePod mini, released in Fall of 2020, significantly boosted the HomePod brand. It was fast (with an S5 v. The original HomePod's A8 processor), small, and relatively cheap ($99). And across the previous two years, the HomePod feature set had improved to make it a usable and more pleasant Smart Speaker. As I wrote back in 2021, with the mini, "Apple has struck a perfect balance of size, price, and sound quality."
So it was sad, but not very surprising, to see Apple discontinuing the big HomePod on March 12, 2021. It was growing long in the tooth, with reports of devices breaking down following software updates and becoming sluggish & glitchier as time went on.
I don't know why the HomePod was discontinued. However, I've heard thoughts ranging from poor sales (HomePods bought in early 2021 still had 2018 manufacturing dates) to the notion that the HomePod was never intended to be discontinued, COVID-19 supply chain issues delayed the product so much that it created the gap we saw between generations.
A Noticeable Gap
But for all the HomePods flaws, the mini was not a like-for-like replacement. It held its own in small spaces and less demanding audio tasks, but there were better speakers for home theatres or larger rooms. And it's at this point of the story I think people began to realize what they were missing, and a stubborn but vocal minority of folks started to create a stink about what they felt had wrongly been taken from them. Some turned to Sonos, some shifted to rationalizing that the mini wasn't too bad, and some prayed to high heaven anytime they did a software update that it wouldn't overheat & break their only remaining HomePod. It was clear there continued to be a demand for larger smart speakers.
January 18, 2023
Then the unbelievable happened. At 06:00 PST, via a press release after announcing the MacBook Pro the day before, Apple announced the HomePod 2nd Generation. Looking nearly identical to the first generation, the new HomePod starts at the same $299 price that its predecessor ended on (originally, it started at $349, but the price was lowered shortly after). It has two fewer mics (4 v. 6) and two fewer tweeters (5 v. 7), but by many accounts, including my ear, they sound similarly exceptional. And at $600, a stereo pair of HomePods is one of the most compelling home speaker setups. These new HomePods also feature thread radios which will make them even better home hubs, have a much faster S7 chip (versus the A8 on the original HomePod), and feature temperature and humidity sensors and can serve as auditory sensors for Smoke/CO alarms (coming soon).
Third Time's a Charm?
In my last entry, I ragged on Apple for tripping once again in the Home Speaker Space, referencing both the iPod Hi-Fi and the recent discontinuation of the Original HomePod. Why should now be any different? The new HomePods, generally speaking, look, sound, and function nearly identically to the first generation, and the original HomePod did not fail on account of its sound quality. And at $300, they also cost the same, more than many other competitive smart hubs or speakers. And while Thread radios and temperature sensors are nice, both are available on the $99 HomePod mini.
But what is different this time is the perspective. With the original HomePod, Apple introduced a boutique stereo at $349 with a lot less functionality than existed today for people heavily niched in Apple's ecosystem. It was a significant and risky investment. Since then, features have been added to help the HomePod play nicer with third-party services. And features like Stereo Pairing, Intercom, Personal Requests, improved international voice recognition, and Handoff have all helped create a more featured and compelling hub device. And since 2019, Apple has developed a compelling streaming service and grown Apple Music into a top-ranked streaming service, both of which may push more people to consider HomePods as part of their home setups.
The HomePod mini may have also played a role in the possible success of the second-generation HomePod. The mini is a great-sounding speaker demonstrating all these HomePod features at a much friendlier price point. And once people get a sense of what a HomePod is all about at $99, they are in a much better position to decide on committing to a larger device. This is not unlike the iPod halo effect when the iPod was the entry point to get more people into the Apple ecosystem.
Wait, How Does it Sound?
Really, really good! And I'm delighted with what I've heard so far. To my ear, they sound comparable in terms of punchy bass and offering a balanced presentation of mids & highs. But the most appealing characteristic about the HomePods is how clear they sound - the audio feels very precise and never muddled. When you listen mindfully, you can draw out the placement and sounds of individual vocals and instruments. It's also noteworthy that these qualities persist across the entire volume range - from the lowest volume to a house-thumping 100%. The only criticism is that I wouldn't say I like listening to Podcasts or Audiobooks on the device; I find voices feel a little too sharp and bass-heavy. But I'm not an audio guy; I'm a very Basic Apple Guy, and I haven't done some of the A/B testings of some reviewers, nor have I compared them to other speakers. But rest assured, they deliver some of the most premium sound quality you can get at this price range.
Other HomePod Thoughts
I purchased a stereo pair of new HomePods to replace the pair I have in the living room. Sound was never the problem, but these HomePods were growing weary, regularly refusing to stream audio from my Apple TV when viewing content through third-party apps and taking 5-to-10 seconds to respond to Siri requests for lights/weather. The S7 on the new HomePods is incredibly zippy - commands feel lightning fast, the reliability of Siri requests has vastly improved, and Handoff occurs in a flash instead of awkwardly hovering my iPhone over the HomePod for 5 seconds before it’s registered thanks to the U1 chip. My previous HomePods were also progressively starting to disregard any request made by my wife, but the new HomePods correctly identified her voice and responded flawlessly every time. If your existing HomePods work for you, sound quality isn't the reason to update alone. Still, these quality-of-life improvements were compelling enough for us to consider replacing our existing pair.
I'm also in the camp of people who are absolutely fine that the HomePod is essentially the same with respect to design and interactivity as the retired model. This is exactly what I have wanted Apple to do for years. A home hub with a display may be an excellent addition in the future, but I wanted a modernized HomePod. I got exactly that, and I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Few More Observations:
I love the increased size of the light array on top of the new HomePods that illuminates and dances when Siri is evoked.
The mesh of the HomePods has changed. The original homePods had a slightly squatter horizontal mesh, while the new HomePods feature a more vertically elongated one. But you probably won’t notice in day-to-day use.
I’ve never had a Space Grey/Midnight HomePod, but the new Midnight colour is much darker and, indeed, a tad blue in bright lighting conditions.
The plug is now removable from the HomePod (the old one was ‘technically’ removable, too; everything is removable if you pull hard enough).
In Sum
With the matured feature set and improved reputation of the HomePod, these have a chance to become a regular and consistent part of Apple's lineup. The HomePod was never destined to be a big seller for Apple, but its reliability, high cost, and limited feature set made it a tough sell save for Apple's most ardent fans. Now the HomePod is a known quantity with a better reputation and a mature feature set. This time around, it could just make it.
