Scorn hits social media as Apple acknowledges its smart speaker can stain wood furniture
At least the sound isn’t wooden.
The HomePod in fact sounds great. At the same time, however, Apple’s $349 smart speaker has been tarnished for having a virtual voice-driven assistant Siri, that isn’t as smart or useful as Alexa on Amazon Echo speakers or the Google Assistant on Google Home speakers.
And now there’s a very different kind of stain being directed at HomePod: it can leave a white ring on some wood furniture.
Apple has acknowledged the issue, which was first spotted by reviewers at Wirecutter and the gadget site Pocket-Lint, and by some users on Twitter.
John Birchman tweeted, “Wait, so Apple’s Home Pod is leaving marks on wood surfaces treated with oil or wax? Home Pod Coasters to hit the market in 3,2,1…”
Wait, so Apple’s Home Pod is leaving marks on wood surfaces treated with oil or wax? Home Pod Coasters to hit the market in 3,2,1… pic.twitter.com/j3n5oqC8Lk
Another Casey Fleser tweeted, “Remember iPod Socks? Coming soon HomePod Slippers!”
Remember iPod Socks? Coming soon HomePod Slippers!
And this from Twitter user Guy San Francisco, who tweeted on Saturday: “#homepod left rings on my wood furniture in less than 20 minutes of use. Thanks #apple I am glad a paid $400 to make perfect etched circles on my more expensive furniture. Guess I cannot move it now to cover up the mark. Evil geniuses you are.”
#homepod left rings on my wood furniture in less than 20 minutes of use. Thanks #apple I am glad a paid $400 to make perfect etched circles on my more expensive furniture. Guess I can not move it now to cover up the mark. Evil geniuses you are. #applesupport pic.twitter.com/u47xImwQQt
In an updated support page for the speaker on its website, Apple indicated that it “is not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces,” adding that such “marks can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface, and will often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface.”
Should the blemish remain, Apple suggests that you gently wipe the surface with a soft damp or dry cloth, or to “clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process.”
But ff all else fans, another suggestion is not likely to make Apple any friends: “placing your HomePod on a different surface.”
Email: ebaig@usatoday.com; Follow USA TODAY Personal Tech Columnist @edbaig on Twitter
