Apple has reportedly reduced HomePod production

Bloomberg has reported that Apple has decided to reduce the amount of HomePod devices being produced by the Taiwan-based computer hardware manufacturer Inventec. The smart speaker was only just released in February of this year in the USA, UK, and Australia, so it comes as something of a surprise that Apple is already cutting the amount of devices being manufactured.

There has been speculation about the factors behind such a maneuver from the Cupertino-based tech giant. The current high price of US$349 is certainly going to put off smart-speaker shoppers on a tight budget from purchasing it. There’s also the fact that Apple has come quite late to this particular table; Amazon’s Echo was launched in 2014 and the original Google Home device came out in 2016. Issues with Siri, lack of appeal for non-Apple devotees (i.e. it is a closed-platform device), and even its wood-damaging silicone base could all be classed as contributing factors.

It is unlikely Apple will give up with the HomePod entirely. The company has recently been recruiting engineers to improve Siri and the smart speaker has received positive reviews for its audio quality. Watch out for a new and improved “HomePod Series 2” sometime in the not too distant future.

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