‘Please don’t tell me to oil my wood,’ journo begs
This from multiple reports by both reviewers and early adopters who have complained that the Cupertino music box has been leaving hard-to-remove white rings – kinda reminding us of the infamous Xbox 360 rings of death – on their tables and countertops.
The staining is believed to be from a reaction the HomePod’s silicone surface has with some treated wood surfaces. Apple has said that the stains will fade over the course of a few days or weeks, but in some cases will not entirely go away without being resurfaced.
The iGiant – which once told iPhone owners they were, basically, holding their handsets wrong – did not say if or when a fix for the issue would be a available. One possible solution is to place a coaster or other protective surface between the speaker and the wood. Perhaps, as it did with the radio-impaired iPhone models in 2011, Apple will offer its own add-on solution to punters.
Or just put it on a “different surface.”
Word of the staining is the latest in what has been a bumpy rollout for the HomePod. Intended as Apple’s rival to the Google Home and Amazon Alexa, the talking voice-controlled gizmo was pitched largely on the audio quality and hi-tech components it would offer, as well as integration with both Apple’s entertainment platforms and its Siri assistant.
Though the HomePod was first showcased by Apple execs in the summer of 2017 at WWDC, the speaker wasn’t able to ship in time for the holiday buying season and only began to hit shelves earlier this year. ®
