Welcome to our weekend Apple Breakfast column, which incorporates all the Apple information you missed this week in a useful bite-sized roundup. We name it Apple Breakfast as a result of we expect it goes nice with a morning cup of espresso or tea, nevertheless it’s cool if you wish to give it a learn throughout lunch or dinner hours too.
House work
This week I’ve been engaged on the Macworld overview of Apple’s new HomePod and spoiler alert: It’s a pretty and well-made system with nice sound. Nevertheless it’s additionally fairly complicated to guage. The query I preserve coming again to is that this: Who is that this for?
Famously and considerably mysteriously, Apple discontinued the unique HomePod in 2021 a couple of months after releasing the $99 HomePod mini. On the time, most pundits assumed this was an admission that the full-size mannequin merely didn’t promote: It was on the pricey facet, in spite of everything, and didn’t play properly with Android telephones, or streaming providers aside from Apple Music. It additionally had an annoying non-detachable energy twine and a reported tendency to go away white round marks on folks’s furnishings. The HomePod mini didn’t remedy all of these issues, nevertheless it’s a lot simpler to forgive flaws whenever you’re paying $99 relatively than $299.
If gross sales numbers have been the issue, it’s a bit of complicated that Apple has chosen to launch one other full-size HomePod that appears nearly similar to the unique. There are some adjustments, in fact, and if you happen to purchased the primary HomePod and returned it in disgust, it’s attainable that your annoyances have been addressed: the facility twine is now removable, whereas the bottom (like that of the HomePod mini) is a flat circle relatively than a hoop, and much much less susceptible to go away marks. However broader points nonetheless stay.
Regardless of a barely lower cost than the primary HomePod had at launch, this stays an costly sensible speaker that isn’t terribly sensible (due to Siri’s persevering with imperfections) and doesn’t play properly with most services from exterior Apple’s ecosystem. And it’s arduous to see this altering the minds of those that weren’t impressed by the unique mannequin.
These like me, in the meantime–individuals who owned the primary HomePod and relatively favored it for all its faults–are unlikely to be pushed into an improve. The brand new mannequin is healthier in some methods, with a bigger display and extra balanced audio output, however not by sufficient to justify a alternative. And it might probably’t be arrange as a stereo pair with its 2018 counterpart. The improve path merely isn’t very compelling.
There are prospects we might not have thought of. It’s attainable, for instance, that the unique HomePod bought superb and was discontinued for different causes; issues with manufacturing throughout the pandemic, maybe. It’s additionally attainable that the brand new HomePod is a part of a wider technique to deal with the sensible dwelling, and isn’t meant or anticipated to make some huge cash in its personal proper. Possibly Apple thinks the HomePod mini is extra interesting when set alongside a status product at the next worth level, or simply thinks it’s foolish to promote a mini product when there isn’t one thing else that’s greater.
Regardless of the reasoning—and Apple typically is aware of what it’s doing—I’m unsure I observe it. However on the similar time, I do just like the HomePod, which can give an perception into how tough this overview has been to write down. Should you’d prefer to learn it in full, tune into Macworld subsequent week.
Foundry
Trending: Prime tales of the week
Apple on the Tremendous Bowl: Large hype, huge flops, and the best advert of all time.
Apple’s conflict towards leakers is known as a battle towards the folks that matter most.
The HomePod 2 beats the unique HomePod in blind exams… besides when heavy bass is a key issue.
ChatGPT, Midjourney, and extra: Is Apple letting one other AI alternative slip away?
Apple has admitted that Mac gaming ‘will take a while,’ whereas teasing the potential of iPhone-like annual updates for the Mac.
What if… Apple’s subsequent huge factor by no means comes? We stroll via 4 eventualities that would spell Apple’s doom.
Oh expensive. Samsung’s S23 bloatware takes up more room than two whole macOS Ventura installs.
Speaking of which, the Galaxy S23 Extremely nonetheless struggles to beat the iPhone—from 2020.
Apple’s tradition is what makes the Mac a unhealthy gaming platform.
The rumor mill
The iPhone 15 Extremely may be Apple’s greatest and priciest iPhone ever.
Apple continues to be engaged on a charging characteristic that ought to have been within the iPhone 14 Professional.
Apple might let the Mac Studio languish for years so extra folks purchase the Mac Professional.
We have a look at Apple’s plans for February. Will there be extra surprises earlier than the massive March occasion?
Podcast of the week
The Mac has a protracted and storied historical past, however video video games play a really small function. On this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about the state of Mac gaming.
You possibly can catch each episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our personal website.
Software program updates, bugs & issues
iOS 16.3 seems to be forcing some customers to guard their accounts with 2FA.
The pulled House revamp is ready to return in iOS 16.4.
And with that, we’re completed for this week. Should you’d prefer to get common roundups, join our newsletters. You too can observe us on Twitter or on Fb for dialogue of breaking Apple information tales. See you subsequent Saturday, get pleasure from the remainder of your weekend, and keep Appley.
