5 Reasons to Consider Getting a HomePod (Before They’re All Gone)

Like many Apple fans, the recent death of the full-sized HomePod caught us quite off guard. While there was no doubt that Apple’s original smart speaker had been getting long in the tooth — it was announced in 2017 and first went on sale in 2018 — we had expected the line to continue with a logical “HomePod 2” successor.

Instead, Apple just brought the original HomePod to an abrupt and seemingly final end. The announcement Apple made back in February left little room for doubt that it was over for the larger speaker, stating in no uncertain terms that it was focusing its efforts on the HomePod mini.

Of course, we can’t fault Apple’s logic here. The full-sized HomePod never took off the way that Apple hoped. It was a niche product that was in many ways the antithesis of the original iPhone — atypical for Apple’s approach to consumer products. Despite great sound quality, its higher price tag and limited utility outside the Apple ecosystem pretty much doomed the HomePod to be a bit player from the very beginning.

By contrast, the HomePod mini has been selling like hotcakes. Not only is it priced for the masses, but it packs in all the same features that most users care about, and unlike its older and larger sibling, it focuses on being a smart speaker first, and a great audio device second.

That said, while we absolutely think that the HomePod mini is a great device, we also think there are still some compelling reasons to opt for Apple’s original HomePod, and why you may still want to try to pick up one or two before they’re gone forever. Read on for 5 compelling reasons why the original HomePod is still a great choice.