Apple Releases HomePod Software 26.4

It’s kind of wild to me that my original HomePod still receives updates nine years later. It also speaks to how little the hardware has fundamentally changed over those nine years.

If you're a fan of the OG HomePod, NEVER SELL IT. If it ever breaks, have it fixed. I SOOOOO regret selling our OG HomePods, Gen. 2's are absolutely the worst. I'm actively looking for broken OG's on marketplace and eBay to send in so we can go back to the OG's. Not only did they sound better but they could actually hear you speaking to them, the 2nd gen is awful, I can be standing 2 feet away with absolutely no music playing, no ambient sounds and it doesn't hear me. If I were not so cheap I would beat it with a bat like the did the printer in Office Space.

/rant

I swear they make 5 of my HomePods worse with every update on purpose so that when they release the new ones with the new Siri one day, it’ll feel like a “big upgrade.” In 2018 Siri could hear me over loud music playing and would adjust all my lights and answer all the basic questions. Now half the time she can’t do the lights, doesn’t know the weather and can’t even hear me speaking. Ridiculous.

According to Apple's release notes, HomePod Software 26.4 includes performance and stability improvements.

Huh I did notice my HomePod tipping over less the last three hours.

It’s kind of wild to me that my original HomePod still receives updates nine years later. It also speaks to how little the hardware has fundamentally changed over those nine years.

4 Homepod Minis (2 stereo pairs) updated without any issues. It took forever, but it worked.

If you're a fan of the OG HomePod, NEVER SELL IT. If it ever breaks, have it fixed. I SOOOOO regret selling our OG HomePods, Gen. 2's are absolutely the worst. I'm actively looking for broken OG's on marketplace and eBay to send in so we can go back to the OG's. Not only did they sound better but they could actually hear you speaking to them, the 2nd gen is awful, I can be standing 2 feet away with absolutely no music playing, no ambient sounds and it doesn't hear me. If I were not so cheap I would beat it with a bat like the did the printer in Office Space.

/rant

I absolutely agree with this. I have about 5 OG hHomePods in my house all over the place and I can be standing in the next room with music playing and it more often than not still hears me and actions the request!

Compare that to having 3 HomePod 2's in my 1 bed flat, stereo pair in the living room and 1 in the bedroom. I can be stood almost right next to it and it still doesn't;t hear me. 1st gen ARE way better by a very large margin.