Apple says it is discontinuing the original HomePod to focus on HomePod mini, will provide HomePod owners software updates and support via Apple Care

After 4 years on the market, Apple has discontinued its original HomePod. It says that it will continue to produce and focus on the HomePod mini, introduced last year.

TechCrunch 2021-03-13 Matthew Panzarino

Context & Ripple Effects

Apple had introduced the $99 HomePod mini only months earlier, giving its smart-speaker line a lower-priced, smaller-format model before ending sales of the original device. The support commitment matters because it keeps existing original HomePods within Apple’s service and software ecosystem rather than abruptly stranding owners.

The mini-only emphasis was not a permanent withdrawal from the larger HomePod format: related coverage later records an updated original-style HomePod with Matter support. That makes this discontinuation a product-line reset, not a clean exit from higher-end speakers.

First-order effects

Apple concentrates new HomePod production on the mini while original HomePod owners retain software updates and AppleCare support.
Existing owners keep access to the HomePod platform, reducing the immediate disruption from the original model’s discontinuation.

Second-order effects

Apple can direct new smart-speaker buyers toward the mini rather than splitting demand across two active HomePod models.
Continued updates preserve a shared software base across old and mini devices; Apple subsequently said both would receive native Apple Music Lossless support.

Third-order effects

The later return of an original-style HomePod suggests Apple’s speaker strategy is evolving through selective lineup resets rather than a fixed commitment to a single price tier.
If that pattern persists, Apple can use software compatibility and support to retain installed-base value while changing which hardware form factors it sells.

The trend: Apple is treating HomePod as a flexible, software-supported hardware family, shifting active models by price and form factor while maintaining compatibility for prior buyers.

Discussion

@mkbhd Marques Brownlee on x
How it started: How it's going: https://twitter.com/...
@damanr Daman Rangoola on x
Apple should buy Sonos https://twitter.com/...
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
@reckless And I'm one of those people! One of those products built for my use case but not for the broader world — but Apple is sometimes good at bending the world to their will. But couldn't see it here, Amazon had beat them to the bending...
@detroitborg @detroitborg on x
Next Apple product to be discontinued...iPad mini?
@hbkirb Adam Demasi on x
Not surprised. HomePod always seemed flawed. Over-engineered smart speaker you really need two of to fill the room properly, appealing to a market whose money would be better off going into a more flexible ecosystem like Sonos. HomePod mini is the clear path forward for Apple. ht…
@snazzyq Quinn Nelson on x
I want a HomePod but with an iPad glued to it.
@reckless Nilay Patel on x
@mgsiegler They've also burned so much goodwill with Siri. Amazon is not spending half its time being like “No, Alexa is good now”
@filipeesposito @filipeesposito on x
2017 was a cursed year. AirPower, iMac Pro, and HomePod were discontinued by Apple.
@ohmdee @ohmdee on x
If this isn't an outright admission of the HomePod's failure, I don't know what is. https://twitter.com/...
@stroughtonsmith Steve Troughton-Smith on x
The HomePod mini's only saving grace is its price, which has me interested in picking up a few — if it's ever made available here —, but I don't expect the user experience to be any better
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
HomePod was a rare hardware flop for Apple, and now it's focused on the smaller version. Both still need Spotify support and much more https://twitter.com/...
@stroughtonsmith Steve Troughton-Smith on x
I expect the original HomePod to be dropped like a stone from future OS updates — it's saddled with a CPU no longer supported by mainline iOS (they moved it to a tvOS core recently, just to stay afloat), and the HomePod mini is built on Apple Watch chips
@detroitborg @detroitborg on x
...iPod Touch?
@bdsams Brad Sams on x
Well here's a Friday night news dump https://twitter.com/...
@rsgnl Joe Rossignol on x
Winning answer from @Apple_Tomorrow https://twitter.com/...
@detroitborg @detroitborg on x
Part of my frustration is that I use HomePod extensively for my HomeKit setup and sound system with stereo pairs everywhere. With Apple leaving that (admitedly niche) market, I'm kinda stuck assuming much of that will be abandoned, mini is not really an audio product.
@lukemiani Luke Miani on x
It's so weird that there's now just a mini version of a thing that doesn't exist... https://twitter.com/...
@stshank Stephen Shankland on x
Apple has axed the original HomePod smart speaker. The Mini will live on. https://techcrunch.com/...
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
in the last 6 months, two of the large, high priced smart speakers on the market (Google Home Max & Apple HomePod) have been discontinued, leaving just the Echo Studio. (there are some smaller players like Marshall too) Sonos should put some voice assistant mics on the Five ASAP
@film_girl Christina Warren on x
RIP to the most overpriced Apple product ever. https://twitter.com/...
@rsgnl Joe Rossignol on x
I feel like Apple would have waited until this mid-range HomePod was introduced to “quietly” discontinue the full-size HomePod, as discontinuing a product without an immediate replacement never looks super great. (Hence why this is a Friday night news dump.)
@detroitborg @detroitborg on x
Apple is killing the things I love and I'm getting really irritated, sorry about that, haha. I'll get over it.
@mikahsargent Mikah Sargent on x
I wonder if they'll add home theater audio support to the mini or if they're going to announce something else (are they finally making the soundbar I've been asking for?), because I started to enjoy my HomePod again after enabling home theater audio. https://techcrunch.com/...
@mikahsargent Mikah Sargent on x
@AJFeather Right now Apple is saying it's because they're focused on the HomePod mini. I think it's to make room for a home theater audio product. Maybe a soundbar with HomePod-quality sound and an Apple TV built in.
@tapbot_paul Paul Haddad on x
Now make a $50 one so it can actually compete with all the other smart speakers. https://twitter.com/...
@snazzyq Quinn Nelson on x
How many years until HomePod can no longer access Apple's servers and since it has no I/O will become just a useless tube of heft? Any guesses?
@mattbirchler Matt Birchler on x
Apple's statement really makes it sound like they're dropping the original because people only care about the Mini in any meaningful quantity. My immediate reaction is to wonder how long software updates will keep coming. How long until they become inconvenient to use?
@reckless Nilay Patel on x
@mgsiegler ;) https://twitter.com/...
@basicappleguy Basic Apple Guy on x
I was busy setting up my HomePod stereo pair & getting ready for a night of Quibi! What did I miss? https://twitter.com/...
@jonyiveparody @jonyiveparody on x
#Apple #HomePod https://twitter.com/...
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
Allow myself to quote my 2017 self... https://twitter.com/...
@viticci Federico Viticci on x
Also, HomePod mini discontinued ~2023? I'm afraid Apple is simply too late to the market here - cheaper, more diverse options from the competition, available *everywhere*, in multiple languages, with smarter assistants. We'll see. Happy to be proven wrong!
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
Just going to leave this here... https://500ish.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@tldtoday @tldtoday on x
opening Twitter & seeing the HomePod news https://twitter.com/...
@mattbirchler Matt Birchler on x
Maybe COVID is making supply chains complicated and they have a successor coming out soon, but they were forced to have a gap between products. Their wording does not imply that, but maybe they're just not talking about future products 🤷🏻‍♂ ️
@mulligan Brenden Mulligan on x
Apple discontinues original HomePod, will focus on mini [... until it discontinues mini after acquiring @Sonos] https://techcrunch.com/...
@ballmatthew Matthew Ball on x
Pretty atypical exit from the premium priced hardware category for Apple. Apple discontinues original $349 HomePod smart speaker, to focus on $99 HomePod Mini https://www.cnbc.com/...
@rsgnl Joe Rossignol on x
Mark Gurman/Debby Wu in Oct 2020: “Apple has also internally weighed a new HomePod that sits in size, price, and sound quality between the original $299 HomePod and the $99 HomePod mini. It's unclear if Apple will ultimately launch that product.” Seems unlikely now? https://twitt…
@reneritchie Rene Ritchie on x
RIP. Now make a new one with U1 for spatial surround theater pls. 🥃🥃🥃 https://twitter.com/...
@jonyiveparody @jonyiveparody on x
Thanks @Apple for discontinuing the HomePod but keeping this relic around for sale: https://twitter.com/...
@johnwilson John Wilson on x
Poor decision. Minis can't do surround sound for TVs. Even pairing them together isn't a HomePod equivalent. Apple is basically ceding home audio to Sonos. Sad. https://twitter.com/...
@9to5mac @9to5mac on x
☹️ #Apple #watercooler https://twitter.com/...
@rsgnl Joe Rossignol on x
iMac Pro discontinued last Friday. HomePod discontinued this Friday. What will be discontinued next Friday?
@snazzyq Quinn Nelson on x
LOL totally. Gonna be super weird when the iPhone mini is all Apple sells in a couple years because it's the best phone and all y'all are haters who don't get it. https://twitter.com/...
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
@reckless For sure. Also imagine if Apple had taken advantage of their legit first-mover advantage with Siri and it was leaps and bounds ahead of the others, the HomePod may have actually been a killer device!
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
so there's going to be a product in Apple's lineup with “mini” in its name but no bigger version for it to be mini against once the original HomePod sells out. odd. I wonder how long that will last https://techcrunch.com/...
@johnvoorhees John Voorhees on x
I love my original HomePods but having used the mini, this move makes sense. It also feels a lot like clearing the decks of bad news in advance of an imminent event. Apple Has Discontinued the Original HomePod https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.com/...
@detroitborg @detroitborg on x
I have several stereo pairs connected to Apple TVs which I REALLY like, again super niche, but nonetheless Apple is stepping away from some premium in-home features for basically an overpriced echo dot.
@samsheffer Sam Sheffer on x
was too expensive mini for $99 makes a lot more sense than $349 for the original let's see if if apple does airpods... mini (smaller, less expensive version of airpods max — $549 is insane) https://twitter.com/...
@benbajarin Ben Bajarin on x
This thing is great but not mass market. The volume is in the mini. https://twitter.com/...
@stroughtonsmith Steve Troughton-Smith on x
I wish I had good things to say on the eve of the HomePod's death, but it was just never a great product. I was never happy with the audio quality of a standalone unit, and Siri+HomeKit is incredibly inconsistent, and nowhere near as fun as a voice assistant as Google's/Amazon's
@stroughtonsmith Steve Troughton-Smith on x
@littlesteve happens with the iPod touch every cycle; replace the hardware, then drop it from the next OS. They'd need a new Apple TV before June to justify that though
@miyagawa Tatsuhiko Miyagawa on x
would be cool if they can add Apple TV home theater support with multiple homepod minis then https://techcrunch.com/...
@harrymccracken Harry McCracken on x
The original HomePod was an instance of zigging when the rest of the industry was zagging, and I guess it didn't work long-term. (Think they'll rename the Mini or come out with other variants?) https://techcrunch.com/...

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