the upside of anger?!....value of original Apple 'HomePod' is going up after discontinuation....

[NewtonMP2100]

.....so if you have one....


HomePod Appreciating in Value Following Discontinuation

....The original HomePod, which Apple discontinued in March 2021, now appears to be appreciating in value on online marketplace sites (via The Verge).

The HomePod originally debuted for $349, before Apple reduced it to $299 just over a year later. Following lackluster sales, Apple discontinued the HomePod and said it was focusing on the HomePod mini going forward. The HomePod has still continued to receive software updates and new functionality.

Since then, research data from eBay indicates that the value of the HomePod has been gradually appreciating over time. 6,610 HomePods have been sold on eBay in the past year, with an average selling price of $347.61, over 15 percent more than Apple's retail price. 2,082 new or sealed HomePods were sold in this period of time with an average selling price of $432.27.

Over the past week, used or refurbished HomePods sold for an average price of $336.03, while new HomePods sold for an average price of $638.76, indicating a steady climb in value. The Verge places the HomePod's average appreciation at around 25 percent over Apple's $299 retail price. HomePods in used condition with no box tend to sell for prices starting at around $220, but new, factory-sealed HomePods can sell for over $500.

There has also been a noticeable decline in the number of HomePods listed for sale on eBay over time, which may contribute to the product's increase in value. Nevertheless, demand for Apple's large smart speaker appears to persist on online marketplaces, despite the device being almost five years old and containing the A8 chip from the iPhone 6.

Apple is still believed to be working on a successor to the HomePod that combines a smart speaker, Apple TV functions, and a FaceTime camera.


price going up......may be due to limit of supply.....?!

[Bernie]

A brand-new HomePod Mini from Apple costs just $99, but has less computing power, fewer microphones for detecting commands and is not compatible with an AppleTV - which could be an explanation for why the original HomePod is thriving on third party markets.

[Gilbert]

This reminds me of how the value of the Apple iSight FireWire webcam increased after it was discontinued. I ended up selling mine for double what I paid for it.

[rich in distress]

Hey Bernie!
The HomePod is a better sounding, more advanced device than the HomePod mini, but the mini does work with the Apple TV. No Atmos though…

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207705

[bruceko]

The price increase is probably related to SmartHome shutting down and turning off their servers with out notice. They produce the Insteon system. I own about $2000 worth of their dimmer switches. With their hub the dimmers worked with Google and Alexa and an app could remotely control them. No one really knew the hub was cloud based and when the server was shut down no more smart home functions.
Insteon functioned with home pod.
There are thousands of people that have insteon installed

[mikebw]

bruceko wrote:
The price increase is probably related to SmartHome shutting down and turning off their servers with out notice. They produce the Insteon system. I own about $2000 worth of their dimmer switches. With their hub the dimmers worked with Google and Alexa and an app could remotely control them. No one really knew the hub was cloud based and when the server was shut down no more smart home functions.
Insteon functioned with home pod.
There are thousands of people that have insteon installed

So if one had a Home Pod then Insteon dimmer switches would still work?

[RAMd®d]

I've got two HomePods, one NIB.

I don't know that I'd ebay it or otherwise, as I'm just shy of paranoid at a deal going wrong.

Really, I should get 'round to setting up for stereo.

To me, the HomePod is quite good at what it does, it just doesn't do much.

It's Sire takes over when I tell any device 'Hey, Siri...' and that Siri is an idiot.

No version of Siri is anywhere near as good at what Alexa does.

I have no hope of Apple making any Sirious improvements, so I'll be gobsmacked if it does.

[RAMd®d]

I paid $199 each, NIB, so I don't feel too bad.

[Article Accelerator]

I bought a pair when they were being discontinued and have them configured as a stereo pair. The sound is incredible, the bass particularly so given their compact size.. So is the responsiveness of Siri—I can speak a command at normal volume while the HomePods are blasting and Siri always recognizes the request.