The new second-generation HomePod appears to have a significant backlog of pre-orders, delaying shipping dates by up to seven weeks in certain markets for Apple's latest smart speaker.
Last week, Apple announced a new HomePod with a slightly updated design, an S7 chip for faster performance and "more advanced" computational audio, a larger backlit touch surface, and other new features. Pre-orders for the new HomePod have been open for less than a week since its announcement on Tuesday, January 18.
In the United States, the midnight HomePod is estimated to ship in three to four weeks, much later than the HomePod's launch date of Friday, February 3. The white HomePod, however, is listed as having no delay. In the United Kingdom, the midnight HomePod faces a five- to six-week delay in shipping. In other markets, such as Germany, both colors of the new HomePod face more than a month delay.
The updated HomePod comes approximately two years after Apple discontinued the original smart speaker. The original HomePod was not the market success Apple was hoping for due to several factors, including the speaker's $349 price at launch and limited features. Apple's new HomePod is its latest attempt to grow its presence in the smart home market, which Google and Amazon have dominated for several years.
Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025:
More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
Wednesday January 8, 2025 6:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
It was recently reported that new Apple TV and new HomePod mini models will launch this year, and the devices are expected to have one thing in common.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month reported that the new Apple TV and the new HomePod mini will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. Gurman said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, so that could end up being a key upgrade...
Thursday January 9, 2025 3:42 pm PST by Juli Clover
If you've been hearing a chiming sound from your AirPods Pro 2 case when the AirPods are charging, it's a feature that Apple added with the launch of Hearing Health last year.
In a support guide, Apple says that the AirPods Pro may play a sound every so often while in the case to ensure the microphones and speakers are working as intended. From Apple:
To help ensure that your AirPods...
Tuesday January 7, 2025 11:12 am PST by Joe Rossignol
A new iPhone SE and an iPad 11 might be coming very soon.
In late December, a private account on X with a track record of leaking accurate iOS-related information said devices codenamed "V59" and "J481" will be released alongside iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that "V59" is a new iPhone SE, and that "J481" is a new entry-level iPad.
iOS 15.3, iOS ...
Wednesday January 8, 2025 6:33 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
Friday January 10, 2025 3:14 am PST by Tim Hardwick
This year's iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a smaller main camera sensor than the one used in the Fusion camera currently found in iPhone 16 Pro models, according to Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station.
The Chinese leaker claims that Apple will adopt a 1/1.3" sensor for the 48MP main camera in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, down from the 1/1.28" sensor used in the iPhone 16...
Monday January 6, 2025 10:07 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems. iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1 come almost a month after Apple released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, iOS 18.2.1...
Thursday January 9, 2025 7:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual "Back to School" or "Back to Uni" promotion has returned this week in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea.
From January 8 through March 13, qualifying higher-education students and staff in these countries can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation with the purchase of any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac, or a free Apple Pencil Pro or Apple...
Very strong demand for the HomePod, a product that already failed in its previous (and better) reincarnation? Unlikely.
Apple knows what they are doing... You are ignoring other factors.
Sure, the original 'failed' if you want to see it that way - back then it was competing with a plethora of Amazon and Google lower priced more functional devices and of course it was not going to succeed - even the sound quality was not enough. Im not making excuses for them, it was an ill-judged under-utilised, over-priced device at the time.
Apple then tested the waters with the much lower priced mini, and it began to sell in greater numbers - far outpacing that of the main HomePod.... meanwhile slowly (arguably not that successfully) increasing the siri and multi room capabilities. The bigger HomePod was simply not worth making and selling anymore back then.
Now, absence makes the heart grow fonder... and 2 years later having flooded the market with the cheaper mini... many people will have the appetite to 'upgrade' from the mini to the big HomePod. Especially in the living room where a pair of minis, although sounding much better than they deserve to as a stereo pair, are still not suitable for that bigger room....
In its absence, apple have stoked demand... and that seems to be borne out through this current supply 'shortage'
That said.. the 'shortage' might well just be marketing guff and the harder it is to come by... the more people seems to want it (just ask those youtube goons who marketed the soft drink that keeps selling out!).
The first gen was a commercial failure. Don’t see how this one wouldn’t be, seeing as it’s more or less the same product, years later.
I have to say, this Homepod (to me) is one of the strangest product releases Apple have ever done, since I became a follower back in 2004.
its reality not strange.
If you have ever dabbled in whole-house multi-room music it's a real boon. Its great to have music simultaneously playing in multiple rooms.
Amazon have been doing this for years, so have google, so have sonos... so apple getting in on the act isnt strange in the slightest. And the fact there are now devices to choose from is only a good thing.
