Apple kills the HomePod, shifts focus to mini Apple has made the surprise move to kill the HomePod, which only launched three years ago. It will now shift its focus to the smaller and cheaper HomePod mini. By Michael Simon | 13 Mar 21 In a surprise Friday night news dump, Apple has killed the original HomePod, marking an ignominious end to the high-priced Siri-powered speaker that struggled to find an audience. Like the iMac Pro, which was discontinued a week ago, the speaker is available "while supplies last". Apple announced HomePod at WWDC in June 2017 with much fanfare and a very high price. Dubbed "a breakthrough speaker" with "custom Apple-engineered audio technology", HomePod was introduced as a high-end audiophile product with spatial awareness for room-filling sound. However, with an initial price tag of $349, a delayed rollout that missed the holiday shopping season, and a weird issue that left rings on some surfaces, HomePod wasn't the success Apple wanted it to be.