A DISCONTINUED Apple gadget is selling for a huge mark-up on eBay.
The original Apple HomePod was originally priced at $299 – some savvy sellers are walking away with hundreds more than that.
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The HomePod was Apple’s first foray into the smart-speaker space, which has been dominated by Amazon’s Alexa.
A columnist at The Verge reviewed the HomePod and found that Siri functions well as an AI bot in the home – better than Siri’s performance on the iPhone.
But the original HomePod underperformed sales-wise, shipping out just a few hundred thousands units in its first quarter – today, Apple has 10% of the smart speaker market share.
The HomePod was taken off the market in March 2021 and replaced by the HomePod Mini.
The original HomePod is having a resurgence on eBay with the rare distinction of selling for more than what Apple priced the device at.
HomePods that are still sealed in their factory packaging are fetching for over $500 – nearly double Apple’s pricepoint.
On eBay, average price for the discontinued HomePod – excluding factory sealed HomePods – is $350.
A brand-new HomePod Mini from Apple costs just $99, but has less computing power, fewer microphones for detecting commands and is not compatible with an AppleTV – which could be an explanation for why the original HomePod is thriving on third party markets.
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Apple lists the HomePod Mini under its “Other Products” tag.
Reporters at TechCrunch said the HomePod was “a feat of audio engineering that Apple spent over five years developing.”
Apple even built a facility near their Cupertino headquarters, specifically for working on the HomePod.
The Mini is available in five flashy colors including a new peachy orange and eye-catching yellow – the original was only released in white and space gray.
Gadgets that are used and later made obsolete rarely appreciate in value – but some mint condition ancient Apple tech can go for five-digit sums.
An unopened first generation iPhone is listed for $25,000 on eBay.
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