Apple’s Stumbling HomePod Isn’t the Hot Seller It Wanted
- Inventory is piling up, according to some Apple store workers
- Low sales push company to cut orders with manufacturer
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When Apple Inc.’s HomePod smart speaker went on sale in January, it entered a market pioneered and dominated by Amazon’s Echo lineup of Alexa-powered devices. Apple has been touting the HomePod’s superior sound quality but so far hasn’t enticed many consumers to part with $349.
By late March, Apple had lowered sales forecasts and cut some orders with Inventec Corp., one of the manufacturers that builds the HomePod for Apple, according to a person familiar with the matter.