Much of Apple's history is linked between two periods: Pre-iPod and Post-iPod. The iPod took over Apple from a computer company and created it to become a consumer electronics company that will continue to become one of the most valuable companies in the world. What most people forget is that the iPod did not become an iPod until the launch of the iPod mini. The original iPod was $ 399, where the iPod mini was priced under $ 249.

Although it has 4 GB of storage, compared to the 20 GB model that Classic introduced that year, the iPod mini is what caused the iPod line to take off. The HomePod is at that exact moment. HomePod needs its moment for the iPod mini.

HomeKit weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, tips and tricks for automation and everything to do with the smart home Apple frame.

HomePod was announced in 2017, but was delayed until 2018. We are approaching two years since HomePod hit the shelves, and as the software evolved, the hardware failed. The HomePod started at $ 349, but has since seen a price drop to $ 299. Over there 9to5Toys, was around $ 199 over the Christmas holidays at various retailers. It is clear that Apple is allowing retailers to drop in price to see how sales are impacting.

HomePod, by all accounts, is a fantastic speaker, but one thing I learned from the iPod is that most users don't care about the best sound. I think it's okay for Apple to target this market, but they've left a massive price umbrella under the HomePod, where people like Sonos, Amazon and Google can offer lower prices on lower end products. What Apple needs for the HomePod is to create a HomePod mini and expand the product line. HomeKit is a fantastic platform, but each Christmas that goes with Amazon that sells 10 Alexa-connected speakers is another Christmas that Apple allows these people to continue to invest on another platform.

Mini HomePod

The HomePod mini should be $ 99, but it may be drastically lower and of poorer quality than the current HomePod. It could support HomeKit, AirPlay 2, multi-room playback and Siri access in every room of the house. We have several green spots around our house, but they don't like them. Despite allegations that Alexa is throwing Siri away, it seems to me he is stuck. Devices that support both HomeKit and Alexa stop working on Alexa until they restart. Opening skills can often be hit or miss by my experience.

Zac Hall had a smiling casing for a HomePod Mini in April 2019.

I think that means people when they say HomePod should cost between $ 100 and $ 200. I don't know how much it costs to set up a HomePod (or how much it costs to make Apple worth it), but selling current hardware for less than $ 200 doesn't seem realistic.

What the people who enjoy the price of today's HomePod really want is a HomePod line, such as the new iPad lineup (and the Amazon Echo line). HomePod mini at $ 99 and HomePod Air (or just call it HomePod) at $ 199 would make the current HomePod (call it HomePod Plus or HomePod Max) at $ 299 feel so much better.

He is exactly right. What I want is the ability to have Siri in my bedroom to interact with HomeKit and play Apple Music. I'm not going to spend $ 300 for more speakers around my house and I don't think I'm alone here. Just as Apple has found trade-offs to make lower-cost iPhone and iPads, it has to do so with HomePod. However, it is not just about selling HomePods. It's about promoting HomeKit, explaining why HomeKit Secure Video is important, and about promoting the general ecosystem. HomePod is a great speaker, but it's time for the HomePod mini to take the right place as an Apple speaker on the mass market.

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