Apple Drops HomePod Price to $299, Down From $349Apple today cut the price of
HomePod on its
online store by $50, with the smart speaker now listed for $299, down from $349. The price drop follows recent
promotional discounts at
several third-party retailers across the U.S.
<img src="
" alt="" width="800" height="579" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-650737" />
Similar price reductions also appeared in other regions and territories on Thursday, with the price of a <!---->HomePod<!----> in the
United Kingdom falling from £319 to £279, for instance.
Apple's expensive <!---->HomePod<!----> speaker accounted for just six percent of the U.S. smart speaker installed base through the fourth quarter of 2018, according to a
February report.
Research firm
Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimates that the U.S. installed base of smart speakers reached 66 million units last quarter of 2018, suggesting <!---->HomePod<!----> sales in the country totaled around 3.96 million units since the speaker became available to order in January 2018. Apple does not disclose exact <!---->HomePod<!----> sales figures.
By comparison, the Amazon Echo and Google Home reportedly accounted for 70 percent and 24 percent of the installed base respectively, with both products proving to be popular holiday gifts.
In April 2018, well-connected analyst
Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was "mulling" a "low-cost version" of the <!---->HomePod<!---->, potentially due to shipments of the current version being "far below market expectations." A report out of China said the lower-cost <!---->HomePod<!----> could be priced between $150 and $200 in the United States.
<div class="linkback">Related Roundup:
HomePod</div><div class="linkback">Buyer's Guide:
HomePod (Neutral)</div>
This article, "
Apple Drops HomePod Price to $299, Down From $349" first appeared on
MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
<div class="feedflare">
<img src="[url]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MacRumors-Front?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img>[/url]
<img src="[url]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MacRumors-Front?d=6W8y8wAjSf4" border="0"></img>[/url]
<img src="[url]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/MacRumors-Front?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img>[/url]
</div><img src="
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MacRumors-Front/~4/ggwzR1brTsw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>
Source:
Apple Drops HomePod Price to $299, Down From $349
