HomePod Can Leave White Rings on Wood Surfaces
Apple has issued a statement confirming that the HomePod can possibly leave white rings on wood surfaces with an oil or wax finish.
The strange discovery was brought to light in HomePod reviews published by Wirecutter and Pocket-lint, as highlighted by VentureBeat, while at least one customer shared a picture of the same problem on Twitter.
This is why they didn’t notice the white rings on the table.
Fixed the HomePod “white ring” situation.
Update (2018-02-14): James Thomson:
The HomePod Wood Adaptor was included in every box. It’s the sticker.
Why don’t we just give everybody a coaster? Okay. Great. Let’s give everybody a coaster.
In reference to the latest HomePod issue, it’s time for another Tim & Steve strip: “If you see a ring, they blew it.”
I’m really curious to find out if this has affected the famous wooden tables found in Apple Stores...
If a device has a rubber base it suggests ‘protection’ between the surface and the product.
I feel there is no general assumption that you should also put something between a rubber base and a surface.
It is not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-damping silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces. The marks can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface, and will often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface. If not, wiping the surface gently with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. If marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process. If you’re concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface.
The article says “Published Date: Feb 15, 2018,” but it was posted today.
“HomePod may leave white ring on wood surfaces. Apple recommends using elsewhere.” So…is this the latest Apple version of, “You’re holding it wrong”? Jesus Apple.
Like many recent Apple PR debacles, this HomePod ring problem could have been easily avoided by simply…telling people beforehand.
Explain how things work. Even the obvious ones. Be proactive. Don’t wait until people discover issues to spin the narrative back in your control.
Anyone who runs into this should be outraged. I honestly don’t see how this could happen. Apple has been making products that go on shelves and tables for years — AirPort base stations, Apple TV, various docks — and I’ve never seen a report of damage to a surface. I guess the difference with HomePod is that the base factors into the acoustics, but still, this seems like an issue that should have been caught during the period where HomePod was being widely tested at home by many Apple employees.
This really undermines the design aspect of the HomePod—especially if you were thinking of displaying it on some prized piece of furniture—and it will surely be a sore point for many potential buyers. In other testing, we have seen no visible damage when using it on glass, granite countertop, nice MDF, polyurethane-sealed wood, and cheap IKEA bookcases. We also tested the HomePod in the same place a Sonos One regularly lives—and the Sonos hasn’t caused damage in months of use.
Update (2018-02-15): Ryan Jones:
MacBook Pro’s have battery life issue: Apple just removes battery time remaining
iPhone’s can’t retain battery health: Apple throttles CPU silently
HomePod marks wood tables: Apple says use a coaster
This dismissiveness is getting old.
How could Apple have anticipated that people who buy $350 speakers would set them on wooden furniture? This is a difficult problem at scale.
Mike Prospero, contra The Wirecutter:
A closer inspection revealed that the Sonos One speaker, which also has small silicone feet, had made these marks on my cabinet. Looking around the top of the cabinet, I noticed a bunch of little white marks, all left from the Sonos Ones as I moved them around. So, they will damage your wood furniture, too.
Update (2018-02-17): See also: Accidental Tech Podcast.
Update (2018-02-19): Josh Centers:
In essence, the rings are caused by a chemical reaction between the silicone and wood oil, and so should affect only wooden furniture with oiled finishes (as opposed to polyurethane, varnish, shellac, paint, or other nonporous finishes). The rings may disappear on their own, but if not, you may be able to reduce or eliminate them with a bit of wiping. If that doesn’t work, This Old House has some advice for fixing furniture finishes, but in my experience, a little Murphy’s Oil Soap on an oil finish can do wonders. Oil finishes are easy to touch up, since you just need to fill the pores of the wood. I’ve heard some people suggest mayonnaise as a fix for this issue, but that’s a bad idea, since it will eventually break down and probably smell terrible.
Update (2018-02-21): See also: The Talk Show.
2 Comments RSS · Twitter
I'm sure Apple will be pleased to offer a HomePod Table Adapter for a mere $29 and a HomePod Table Adapter X for only $79.
That was worth a chuckle. Wonder what the actual fix will be? Obviously can't ship free white tables to all early adopters.