Apple’s decision to discontinue the original HomePod was surprising to say the least. The announcement came just four months after the launch of the HomePod Mini, and it never seemed likely that the company intended for its smart speaker family to feature just one, tiny member.
Our suspicion was always that the much-publicised manufacturing issues and parts shortages that have afflicted everything from cars to road bikes, microwaves and printers forced Apple to discontinue the original HomePod before its successor was quite ready. But with each passing month, our confidence that a new model was on the way dwindled.
