Apple relaunched the HomePod two years in the past as we speak, debuting a second-generation mannequin virtually 5 years after the unique mannequin’s introduction.
The unique HomePod was introduced at WWDC in 2017 and launched in 2018 after a closely delayed launch. The gadget was met with combined opinions; critics praised its excellent sound high quality however identified its excessive worth, lacking options, and restricted performance in comparison with rivals.
Apple dropped its worth from $349 to $299 in April 2019 and, in March 2021, the corporate introduced that it was discontinuing the first-generation HomePod, as an alternative shifting its focus to the HomePod mini, which launched the earlier yr. The choice left a niche in Apple’s product lineup for a full-sized good speaker till the corporate launched the second-generation mannequin through a press launch on January 18, 2023.
The second-generation HomePod appears nearly equivalent to the unique, though it’s 0.2 inches shorter and has a bigger edge-to-edge LED touchscreen on high. It additionally boasts a variety of upgrades and modifications in comparison with its 2018 predecessor, together with the S7 chip, a U1 extremely wideband chip, a detachable energy cable, a temperature and humidity sensor, and sound recognition. Nonetheless, it options two fewer microphones and horn-loaded tweeters.
Whereas Apple’s potential plans for a third-generation HomePod are unclear two years after the present mannequin was launched, there are a mess of rumors surrounding a wise dwelling “command heart” product with an LCD touchscreen show arriving this yr as Apple appears to rethink its good dwelling lineup.
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