When’s the last time you bought a smart speaker from a carrier? Never? That sounds about right. But if you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to get Apple‘s 2023-released HomePod 2 at an affordable price, you should probably hurry and place an order on Verizon‘s website while you can.
Believe it or not, the largest mobile network operator in the US is selling the latest and greatest Siri-powered Echo rival for $174.99 after a mind-blowing new $125 discount. This online-only promotion is available to just about anyone rather than exclusively targeting Verizon subscribers, and of course, you don’t need wireless service (from Big Red or any other carrier) to take full advantage of the “all-new” HomePod’s voice skills and capabilities.
This incredible 42 percent markdown absolutely crushes all previous deals offered by major US retailers like Best Buy or Walmart on a smart speaker that was $50 cheaper than its 2018 predecessor right off the bat.
Aside from hurrying, you also have to be fine with owning a Midnight-coated HomePod to score this totally unprecedented and unbeatable discount, which shouldn’t be too inconvenient for most prospective buyers. Yes, perhaps the white model is a little more stylish, but at the end of the day, what matters most is what lies on the inside.
For 175 bucks, the second-gen HomePod’s audio setup is pretty much unrivaled today, including a high-excursion woofer and a grand total of five beamforming tweeters. Everything from Spatial Audio technology to room sensing, stereo pair, and multiroom audio is also supported, not to mention temperature and humidity sensing, as well as smart home controls with a key focus on privacy and security.
As far as the world’s best smart speakers are concerned, Apple’s 2023 HomePod can certainly hold its own in a head-to-head battle against the Echo Studio in most key departments, and for once, Amazon’s super-premium model is the costlier of these two products.
