There probably aren’t as many of us as Apple thought there would be, but there are still many people who have a HomePod, the company’s version of a smart speaker. But it will soon become yesterday’s news, as Apple is heavily rumored to be releasing what has been dubbed a Home Hub, a device that should get Apple up to speed in the smart home market.
Existing HomePods
I didn’t buy a HomePod initially, as it carried a very hefty price tag, much more than an Amazon Echo device. But I did eventually bow to Apple’s wishes and bought one, excited to have a smart speaker.
I have also bought an Amazon Dot and an Amazon Show when they were on sale – much cheaper than the HomePod, I’ll add. I’ll also say that the HomePod with Siri doesn’t measure up as far as Echos and Alexa. Alexa can do much more. But that’s more a discussion of Siri vs. Alexa. However, the sound from the HomePods is still much better.
Assumably to make the HomePod more affordable, Apple also released a mini HomePod. It still doesn’t seem to have caught the hype that the Echo did. I still prefer the Alexa features, as well as the smart home connections. I use my two Echos and relegated the HomePod to the garage with my husband, who is happy to blast music from it.
But this still leaves Apple out of the smart speaker/smart home market, for the most part. In fact, I know several other people that have Echos, but not one that has a HomePod. Playing catchup isn’t something Apple likes to do.
Rumored Apple Home Hub
Apple has long been rumored to be working on the Home Hub, a HomePod with a display, which makes you think it will be like an Echo Show. Instead, it’s said to be like an iPad tethered to the front of a HomePod, reminding me of the old iMac style that looked to many like the robot from the Wall-E movie.
However, the newer rumors say it will be more than that, that it will be more like a HomePod, plus iPad, plus Apple TV. Okay, I have all those products, so this is seemingly more and more interesting to me.
It sounds like they are aiming to break more into the Echo market, as it’s been said that it will integrate with smart displays and cameras. This is where it earned the moniker Home Hub, as it will act like a smart home hub, which is, again, like an Echo. It just so happens that it’s also been rumored that Siri will become much more intelligent.
What to Do With Your Old Apple HomePod?
With the new Apple Home Hub most likely being announced, if not hinted about, during next week’s WWDC event, if you have a HomePod currently, you may be looking to upgrade and wondering what to do with the old one.
Again, the sound quality on HomePods is fantastic. It won’t be wasted money to just use it as a smart speaker only, especially if it still works with Siri. Just put it in the room where you are most likely to listen to music, and enjoy. This also leaves you open to putting the Home Hub in a different room, one that could make better use of a smart hub. It would also work great as an external speaker for your Mac.
You can even extend the above idea by buying another used HomePod and using them together to create a great stereo sound. Making this easier, when two HomePods are near each other and on the same Home app, you will be asked if you’d like to create a stereo pair.
If your speaker is dead and no longer works, you could repurpose it as an analog speaker. If you’re the technical type, you could do this on your own. If not, find a handy friend who can do this for you.
Of course, you could also sell your old Apple HomePod. There may be someone looking for a fantastic speaker without many features. But before you do, clean it with a soft, dry cloth, and make sure you reset it to remove your Apple ID.
You will need to do this on the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. Select the device, tap Settings -> Reset HomePod. Follow this by selecting Remove Accessory -> Remove. Head to the Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top, then tap Remove from Account if your HomePod is still listed there.
If you’re considering the more drastic measure of selling your Apple HomePod, it would be best to wait until June 9, just to make sure that Apple does indeed announce, or at least hint, that the Home Hub is on its way.
Do note that Alexa has its own flaws, such as not working with artificial intelligence. In today’s world, that’s just not good enough. So bear that in mind before doing something drastic with your HomePod in preference of an Amazon Echo.
