Welcome to our weekend Apple Breakfast column, which incorporates the entire Apple information you missed this week in a helpful bite-sized roundup. We name it Apple Breakfast as a result of we expect it goes nice with a morning cup of espresso or tea, but it surely’s cool if you wish to give it a learn throughout lunch or dinner hours too.

House work

This week I’ve been engaged on the Macworld overview of Apple’s new HomePod and spoiler alert: It’s a horny and well-made gadget with nice sound. However it’s additionally fairly complicated to judge. The query I maintain coming again to is that this: Who is that this for?

Famously and considerably mysteriously, Apple discontinued the unique HomePod in 2021 just a few months after releasing the $99 HomePod mini. On the time, most pundits assumed this was an admission that the full-size mannequin merely didn’t promote: It was on the expensive aspect, in spite of everything, and didn’t play properly with Android telephones, or streaming providers apart from Apple Music. It additionally had an annoying non-detachable energy twine and a reported tendency to depart white round marks on individuals’s furnishings. The HomePod mini didn’t remedy all of these issues, but it surely’s a lot simpler to forgive flaws once you’re paying $99 relatively than $299.

If gross sales numbers have been the issue, it’s a little bit complicated that Apple has chosen to launch one other full-size HomePod that appears nearly equivalent to the unique. There are some adjustments, after all, and when you purchased the primary HomePod and returned it in disgust, it’s doable that your annoyances have been addressed: the ability twine is now removable, whereas the bottom (like that of the HomePod mini) is a flat circle relatively than a hoop, and much much less susceptible to depart marks. However broader points nonetheless stay.

Regardless of a barely cheaper price than the primary HomePod had at launch, this stays an costly sensible speaker that isn’t terribly sensible (due to Siri’s persevering with imperfections) and doesn’t play properly with most services and products from outdoors Apple’s ecosystem. And it’s onerous to see this altering the minds of those that weren’t impressed by the unique mannequin.

These like me, in the meantime–individuals who owned the primary HomePod and relatively preferred it for all its faults–are unlikely to be pushed into an improve. The brand new mannequin is healthier in some methods, with a bigger display and extra balanced audio output, however not by sufficient to justify a alternative. And it might’t be arrange as a stereo pair with its 2018 counterpart. The improve path merely isn’t very compelling.

There are potentialities we might not have thought-about. It’s doable, for instance, that the unique HomePod bought nice and was discontinued for different causes; issues with manufacturing through the pandemic, maybe. It’s additionally doable that the brand new HomePod is a part of a wider technique to deal with the sensible residence, and isn’t meant or anticipated to make some huge cash in its personal proper. Possibly Apple thinks the HomePod mini is extra interesting when set alongside a status product at a better value level, or simply thinks it’s foolish to promote a mini product when there isn’t one thing else that’s larger.

Regardless of the reasoning—and Apple usually is aware of what it’s doing—I’m undecided I observe it. However on the similar time, I do just like the HomePod, which can give an perception into how tough this overview has been to write down. When you’d prefer to learn it in full, tune into Macworld subsequent week.

Foundry

Trending: High tales of the week

Apple on the Tremendous Bowl: Large hype, large flops, and the best advert of all time.

Apple’s conflict in opposition to leakers is mostly a battle in opposition to the those who matter most.

The HomePod 2 beats the unique HomePod in blind exams… besides when heavy bass is a key issue.

ChatGPT, Midjourney, and extra: Is Apple letting one other AI alternative slip away?

Apple has admitted that Mac gaming ‘will take a while,’ whereas teasing the potential of iPhone-like annual updates for the Mac.

What if… Apple’s subsequent large factor by no means comes? We stroll by 4 eventualities that might spell Apple’s doom.

Oh expensive. Samsung’s S23 bloatware takes up extra space than two total macOS Ventura installs.

Speaking of which, the Galaxy S23 Extremely nonetheless struggles to beat the iPhone—from 2020.

Apple’s tradition is what makes the Mac a dangerous gaming platform.

The rumor mill

The iPhone 15 Extremely is perhaps Apple’s largest and priciest iPhone ever.

Apple remains to be engaged on a charging function that ought to have been within the iPhone 14 Professional.

Apple might let the Mac Studio languish for years so extra individuals purchase the Mac Professional.

We have a look at Apple’s plans for February. Will there be extra surprises earlier than the large March occasion?

Podcast of the week

The Mac has an extended and storied historical past, however video video games play a really small position. On this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about the state of Mac gaming.

You’ll be able to catch each episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our personal web site.

Software program updates, bugs & issues

iOS 16.3 seems to be forcing some customers to guard their accounts with 2FA.

The pulled House revamp is ready to return in iOS 16.4.

And with that, we’re executed for this week. When you’d prefer to get common roundups, join our newsletters. You can even observe us on Twitter or on Fb for dialogue of breaking Apple information tales. See you subsequent Saturday, take pleasure in the remainder of your weekend, and keep Appley.