New HomePod Facing Significant Delay in Certain Markets as Pre-Orders Continue

Maybe this time Apple was a bit more conservative and did produce a low volume first run and see how the product works with the consumers.

Maybe this time Apple was a bit more conservative and did produce a low volume first run and see how the product works with the consumers.

Or maybe not and demand is just very strong

Very strong demand for the HomePod, a product that already failed in its previous (and better) reincarnation? Unlikely.

Apple knows what they are doing...
You are ignoring other factors.

Sure, the original 'failed' if you want to see it that way - back then it was competing with a plethora of Amazon and Google lower priced more functional devices and of course it was not going to succeed - even the sound quality was not enough. Im not making excuses for them, it was an ill-judged under-utilised, over-priced device at the time.

Apple then tested the waters with the much lower priced mini, and it began to sell in greater numbers - far outpacing that of the main HomePod.... meanwhile slowly (arguably not that successfully) increasing the siri and multi room capabilities. The bigger HomePod was simply not worth making and selling anymore back then.

Now, absence makes the heart grow fonder... and 2 years later having flooded the market with the cheaper mini... many people will have the appetite to 'upgrade' from the mini to the big HomePod. Especially in the living room where a pair of minis, although sounding much better than they deserve to as a stereo pair, are still not suitable for that bigger room....

In its absence, apple have stoked demand... and that seems to be borne out through this current supply 'shortage'

That said.. the 'shortage' might well just be marketing guff and the harder it is to come by... the more people seems to want it (just ask those youtube goons who marketed the soft drink that keeps selling out!).

The first gen was a commercial failure. Don’t see how this one wouldn’t be, seeing as it’s more or less the same product, years later.

I have to say, this Homepod (to me) is one of the strangest product releases Apple have ever done, since I became a follower back in 2004.

its reality not strange.

If you have ever dabbled in whole-house multi-room music it's a real boon.
Its great to have music simultaneously playing in multiple rooms.

Amazon have been doing this for years, so have google, so have sonos...
so apple getting in on the act isnt strange in the slightest. And the fact there are now devices to choose from is only a good thing.

I know technically with inflation it is "cheaper"... but if Apple wants to compete they are going to have to lower the price. Very few people besides Apple enthusiasts are buying this at $299. Maybe Apple is planning to play the third party discount game and sell it for less in reality.

And as an Apple enthusiast, I really want to buy one just to see what it's like with Apple TV and other devices lol

Very strong demand for the HomePod, a product that already failed in its previous (and better) reincarnation? Unlikely.

Maybe and again maybe not sir. I’m thinking Apple knows something that you don’t.