Some Apple HomePod mini units are completely useless
While Apple has been successful in the majority of the businesses it has entered, there is one industry where it is not what you would call a rousing success. That would be the smart speaker industry which is dominated by product creator Amazon and its Echo line. Google also has been a leader in the smart speaker and smart display markets. Part of Apple's problem is that it built a premium device priced way too high for what is essentially a speaker and a digital assistant. When launched in 2018, the HomePod had a $349 price tag which has been since reduced to $299.
The newly released HomePod mini has a Wi-Fi connectivity issue complains users
Sure, Apple included premium speakers in the HomePod that measure how big a room is and delivers sound to cover the entire location. But unless you're an audiophile or are absolutely head-over-heels in love with Apple's ecosystem, a lower priced smart speaker will handle the basics at a more reasonable price. To catch the sales generated by consumers who don't want or need a pricey smart speaker, Apple just released the HomePod mini priced at $99. But some early buyers of the device are complaining on Apple's support forum that they are having problems connecting their mini to the internet.
HomePod mini users are having connectivity problems
One Apple community member by the handle of j_mcclendon wrote to say that "I am having issues with HomePod mini not connecting to the internet. My other HomePods have no issue when I ask a question etc. But when I ask one or both of the HomePod mini's it says 'I am having trouble connecting to the internet.' I followed the troubleshooting steps Apple provides but it goes back to 'I am having trouble connecting to the internet.' after a couple of hours. Then it is normal again." Another HomePod user with the same problem wrote back to Mr. McClendon to inform him that he was experiencing the very same issue as were others who were making their unhappiness with the product known on Reddit. And unlike other bugs and issues that are discussed on the platform, with the HomePod mini there were absolutely no workarounds from members to try that were effective beyond a few minutes. A post from user francofornia on the Apple support forum reveals how frustrating this issue is. He wrote that he has three HomePod minis and "...they all have that problem; have tried everything, restarting, resetting various times, restarting the router, switching from 2.4 to 5 Ghz on the router and using just the one and the other... Have had the regular HomePod since launch and never had that problem! It‘s so annoying... hope they‘ll fix it fast in a Software update!"
Apple itself has its own suggestions about fixes you can try such as rebooting the device, but that has proven to be ineffectual. Now take a seat and bite on a bullet. Apple says that you might need to perform a factory reset if rebooting doesn't do anything to fix the problem. And Apple also suggested to one HomePod mini owner that he reset his router; this actually did bring some short-lived hope since it worked, but only for one day.
Obviously, all HomePod mini units should still be covered by the warranty. You can check out what your options are by visiting Apple's support website. There, you will learn how connect to Apple Support via email, phone, chat, and more. The original warranty for the device out of the box is one-year of hardware repair and up to 90 days of free technical support. You can also add AppleCare+ warranty protection. A HomePod mini repair under AppleCare+ costs $15 for the service fee compared to $79 for units out of warranty. Of course, as we said, all currently owned units are covered by the original warranty which make repairs to the device free at the moment.
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