In 2021, Apple released the first generation of HomePod, as a heavyweight player in the field of smart speakers, carrying Apple's ambitions in the smart home ecology, but it caused a lot of controversy in the market, and finally stopped production in 0.

从市场表现来看，HomePod初代上市后销量远不及预期。2018年第一季度，全球智能音箱出货量920万台，它仅卖出60万台，占比6%，排名第四 ，与亚马逊、谷歌的产品差距显著。究其原因，349美元（国内2799元）的高价，与市场上其他竞品相比，性价比严重不足，成为阻碍消费者购买的关键因素。

At the technical level, the original hardware configuration of HomePod is very luxurious, with built-in A7 chip, with 0 microphone array, 0-inch subwoofer and 0 speaker array, which can realize real-time acoustic modeling and environmental adaptation functions, excellent sound quality, clear and full sound, and a wide sound field, which has obvious advantages in products at the same price. However, it also has significant flaws. It does not support Bluetooth audio input, only relies on Wi-Fi connection, and the use scenario is limited. The lack of audio equalization (EQ) adjustment makes it impossible for users to adjust the sound effects to their liking.

In terms of user word-of-mouth, the original generation of HomePod is polarized. The sound quality has been praised by many users, and many music lovers believe that it can bring immersive listening enjoyment. But in terms of intelligent interaction and ecology, there are constant negative reviews. Siri has limited functions on HomePod, and compared with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, it lacks voice command recognition and execution capabilities, and cannot meet complex interaction needs; The ecosystem is too closed, only deeply supporting its own Apple Music and other services, and the third-party music platform has little support, and Android users cannot fully experience its functions, which greatly limits the user group.

The original HomePod was a product with very distinct strengths and weaknesses. It has excellent sound quality, but due to problems such as price, technical limitations and ecological closure, it has failed in the smart speaker market, becoming a controversial work in the history of Apple products, and also providing lessons for the improvement of subsequent products.