Apple admits that HomePod will leave rings on certain wooden surfaces
HomePod has been available to purchase for a little under a week and owners of the new speaker are already finding flaws with the product that aren’t audio or Siri related. Users have noticed that the $350 smart speaker has began to leave white rings on a limited amount of wooden surfaces. Now, Apple has admitted that to The Wirecutter that this is in fact the case.
Apple claims that the marks can improve over several days after the speaker is removed from the wood surface and says that if that doesn’t work you should try cleaning the surface with the manufacturer’s suggested oiling method. This isn’t really the answer consumers were looking for as it’s not the most convenient and in some cases could end up costing more money than the HomePod is worth.
Apple goes on to say that “It is not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-dampening 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.
Personally, I’m not having any issues with the HomePod sitting on my wooden desk and haven’t heard of anyone experiencing these issues until now. We imagine that Apple will fix the issues with the devices grip in the near future to eliminate theses issue, but until then we recommend thinking twice before setting your new HomePod somewhere else. You can also read Apple’s full support document regarding HomePod here.