Final week’s unusual information tidbit: the full-size HomePod, that the majority current of Apple’s maybe misguided product selections, goes at a premium on the resale market after having been discontinued again in spring 2021. It’s odd however not inexplicable. As my colleague Jason Snell identified, the HomePod was a case of Apple making trade-offs that finally appealed solely to a distinct segment viewers—however a distinct segment viewers that was very enthusiastic about it.
The lesson I take away from all that is that although the full-size HomePod was not essentially a market success, Apple ought to be prepared to take dangers on product classes that will not be apparent crowd-pleasers. Macs, iPhones, iPads—all of those are established merchandise as of late, ones that the corporate can rely on promoting in droves once they launch updates yearly or two. They’re straightforward and, if I may be excused for saying so, boring.
However the bizarre one-off merchandise? The type that appear destined to be appreciated by the few? These are the locations the place you by no means know while you would possibly discover a hit.
The HomePod’s huge once more
The total-size HomePod wasn’t a success. That’s wonderful: the HomePod mini appears to be doing fairly effectively, all issues thought-about. The query is admittedly whether or not Apple will put out a product to fill the void left by the mini’s huge sibling.
One often floated suggestion is {that a} HomePod with a display, à la Google’s Nest Hub or Amazon’s Echo Present, is perhaps within the works, and that’s wonderful—however it’s a bit apparent. On the opposite facet of the fence are the rumors that Apple is engaged on a successor to the HomePod that integrates a digicam for FaceTime calls and connects to your TV.
Making a HomePod that’s much like units just like the Amazon Echo Present appears a bit too apparent.
Ben Patterson/IDG
I like this concept. It’s undoubtedly bizarre: are individuals going to exchange their set-top packing containers simply to get a digicam for making video calls? It certain doesn’t seem to be it. However that’s to not say that it received’t have enchantment. Frankly, there’s simply nothing else that fills that precise house available in the market. Certain, you have got standalone video conferencing utilities just like the Meta Portal, however, effectively, it’s a bit creepy. Then again, one thing that serves as each a set-top field and has a digicam—most likely with Heart Stage—and a built-in FaceTime app, effectively, that kind of appliance-like machine is perhaps simply the type of factor to win over customers. Particularly with Apple’s privacy-conscious advertising within the combine.
Add in HomePod performance of some sort—maybe as a soundbar element—and also you’ve obtained a tool that simply fills the wants of getting a number of different units. Possibly there’s one thing to this concept, wild as it’s.
A number of realities
Although the indications appear to level to this machine really arriving as early as this 12 months, I’m together with Apple’s AR/VR headset within the “let’s get bizarre” division, for the easy purpose that I’ve completely no thought what Apple expects customers to get out of it.
VR headset corporations have been touting video games as their major use, however Apple might want to take a special strategy with its rumored headset.
Hayden Dingman/IDG
Augmented and digital actuality units aren’t new, in fact. However although they’ve grown in recognition, the most typical use for issues just like the Oculus and HTC Vive have overwhelmingly been video games. (Not less than till Mark Zuckerberg’s hellscape of the Metaverse takes form within the darkness past the celebrities, anyway.) However gaming actually isn’t Apple’s wheelhouse, Apple Arcade however. It’s laborious to think about an organization as famously choosy as Apple spending the money and time to create a product that it doesn’t have a compelling story for; ergo, the best clarification is that it does have a narrative: we simply don’t know what it’s but.
We’ve seen Apple touting its AR software program capabilities for years, so it certain looks like the corporate has a vacation spot in thoughts for what that is all constructing to. It’s simply us out right here within the low cost seats that haven’t gotten to see it but, and it’s one thing I’m wanting ahead to, as a result of—and I’m not ashamed to confess this—it’s new and completely different.
Assume bizarre
Apple’s tried its hand at bizarre earlier than, and it definitely doesn’t at all times repay: the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, the buttonless iPod shuffle, and the Energy Mac G4 Dice all come to thoughts.[Don’t forget iPod Socks. They were definitely weird.—Editor] I’m certain all of these merchandise had their defenders and appealed to a sure area of interest of individuals—okay, possibly not the buttonless shuffle—however one might argue that the authentic Mac, the first iPod, and even the Apple Watch have been all examples of merchandise that have been a bit off the overwhelmed path, however finally proved to be not solely hits however watershed moments.
So Apple shouldn’t cease being bizarre. If it has a terrific thought for a robotic that walks your canine, or a large table-sized iPad, or a speaker that you simply put on in a hat, it ought to give it a go, since you by no means know what the upside is perhaps.
On its path to changing into one of the priceless and distinguished corporations on the planet, Apple has at instances shied away from what has at all times been certainly one of its nice strengths: the willingness to suppose completely different. And that could be a type of bizarre that I can get behind.
