If you bought and still own Apple’s original HomePod, you could be in for a lovely surprise; there have been reports of the misunderstood smart speaker now selling for well above its original $349 asking price on eBay, subject to condition.
Apple announced the HomePod in 2017, and it became available in stores the following year. At the time of its launch, it was described as a breakthrough wireless speaker that users could control with Siri.
However, the original HomePod ceased production last year, and even then, it took a further three months for all remaining stock to sell out in the United States. Some last-of-the-line purchasers even reported receiving an original 2018 HomePod, despite only buying it two or three years later.
What a difference a year makes. As first noted by 9to5Mac’s Chance Miller, great-condition examples of the original HomePod have recently been listed (and for that matter, changing hands) for hundreds of dollars more than Apple would have charged you for one just a few years ago.
HomePods are appreciating assets pic.twitter.com/Qn1cAZnEwv
— Chance Miller (@ChanceHMiller) April 19, 2022
The Verge reported that over the course of the past week, the average price a HomePod sold for on eBay was $375, which was still a quarter more expensive than Apple’s as-new price. For a HomePod in sealed condition, it seems that an achievable price could be much closer to $700.
All in all, it’s quite the turnaround for the now-discontinued original HomePod, the surging prices for which probably having something to do with the device’s significant place in Apple’s history. The reality is, we will always remember the first HomePod.
