Apple’s Homepod speaker isn’t selling as well as the company expected it to, according to a new Bloomberg report. Apple stores are reportedly seeing excess inventory, and Apple is said to have lowered its internal sales forecast for the device. The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple hasn’t released any sales numbers for the Homepod, and the company typically doesn’t share such numbers for products other than iPhones, iPads and Macintosh computers. Bloomberg was able to gain some insights into Homepod sales through data from Slice Intelligence, a company that analyses the online purchases of millions of consumers.
According to that data, Apple was able to capture 10 percent of the smart speaker market when the Homepod became available for pre-order in late January. However, by March, its market share had shrunk to a mere 4 percent.
Apple has reportedly responded to these sluggish sales by cutting some orders with one its Homepod contract manufacturers. The lower-than-expected interest has also resulted in excess inventory at Apple Stores, with some locations selling fewer than ten units a day, according to Bloomberg.
Apple’s Homepod is competing with products from Amazon, Google and Sonos, which are often sold for a lower price. At the same time, the Homepod is lacking some key functionality offered by competing devices, including the ability to access third-party music services and advanced assistant integrations.
Apple instead decided to focus on sound quality for the Homepod, but has been slow to deliver on some promises in this area as well. Two months after its commercial launch, the Homepod can still not be paired for stereo listening or multi-room audio. The company has promised to add these features later this year.
