Apple HomePod
Apple HomePod is a smart speaker line featuring Siri voice assistant, high-fidelity audio, and deep integration with Apple's HomeKit smart home ecosystem. Available in full-size and mini models, it serves as a home hub for controlling Matter and HomeKit accessories while offering music playback, intercom, and hands-free Siri commands.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated. Last assessed 2026-10-01. Score revised 2026-10-01: 49 → 40.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
Apple announced HomeKit at WWDC 2014 with an MFi program that required Apple authentication chips, which left the accessory catalogue empty into 2015. No HomePod existed yet, so lock-in and monetization pressure were low. Apple's capital return program was expanding, and Foxconn labor concerns from the 2010 suicides and heavy peak-season overtime persisted.
The $349 HomePod shipped with excellent sound but worked only with Apple devices: AirPlay-only streaming, setup through an iPhone, and Siri music requests limited to Apple Music. It took about 6% of the U.S. installed base by the end of 2018 and Apple cut the price to $299 in 2019. The July 2019 Siri grading revelations hit HomePod directly; Apple apologized and made grading opt-in that August.
The $99 HomePod mini and the Apple One bundle repositioned HomePod as an entry point to Apple's services, while Apple opened HomePod to third-party music services (Pandora first, in November 2020). The original HomePod was discontinued in March 2021. Matter support arrived in October 2022, the same week Apple Music's first price rise, and Apple's retail anti-union messaging in 2022 marked its labor record.
The second-generation HomePod revived the full-size model with modest changes, and the line then went more than three and a half years without new hardware while Apple's home hub slipped. HomePod Software 17.4 let Siri learn a preferred music service, Apple settled the Siri privacy case for $95 million, and Apple moved all homes to a hub-based architecture in February 2026. In mid-2026 HomePod prices rose 17-30%, Apple Music rose to $11.99, and Apple's new Siri AI launched without support on existing HomePods.
Alternatives
Open-source smart home platform offering complete local control with no cloud dependency and no voice data leaving your home. Runs on a dedicated device (Home Assistant Green, $199 after 2026 price increases) or a Raspberry Pi. Supports Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and virtually every smart home protocol. The catch: setup requires technical comfort — this is a power-user solution, not plug-and-play.
Google Assistant outperforms Siri for general knowledge and smart home control, with broad device compatibility and Matter support. Works with Android and iOS. Gemini for Home began replacing Google Assistant on Nest speakers in an October 2025 Early Access rollout, adding more conversational control. Privacy is weaker than Apple but better than Amazon. Easy switch — just buy the speaker and set it up.
The dominant smart speaker platform with the widest third-party device compatibility and Alexa skills ecosystem. Echo Dot speakers remain a cheaper entry point than the HomePod mini, which rose to $129 in June 2026. Works with any smartphone, not just Apple devices. The trade-off is significantly weaker privacy practices — Amazon collects and retains more voice data than Apple.
In the News
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (56 events)
Apple App Store Launches with 30% Commission Model
Apple launched the App Store in July 2008, taking a 30% cut of paid app sales; in-app purchases, carrying the same 30% fee, followed in 2009. The commission model would later extend to subscriptions sold in smart home companion apps and music streaming services, and would face antitrust scrutiny from the DOJ, EU, and Epic Games over a decade later.
Foxconn Suicide Crisis Exposes Apple Supply Chain Conditions
In 2010, 18 young workers at Foxconn factories in Shenzhen, one of Apple's largest suppliers, tried to kill themselves by jumping from buildings; 14 died. The youngest was 17. The spate of deaths prompted a decade-long Hong Kong Polytechnic University investigation, published as the book Dying for an iPhone, into how Apple's production demands shaped conditions on Foxconn assembly lines.
Apple Initiates Capital Return Program with Buybacks and Dividends
Apple announced its first-ever dividend and share repurchase program, expecting to use about $45 billion of domestic cash on dividends, buybacks and net share settlement of vesting RSUs in the first three years. The program marked Apple's transition from cash hoarding to aggressive shareholder returns, establishing a pattern that would ultimately total over $700 billion in buybacks by 2025. This shift in capital allocation priorities would later affect product investment in categories like smart home.
Apple Announces HomeKit Smart Home Framework at WWDC
Apple unveiled HomeKit at WWDC 2014, a framework for controlling smart home accessories through Siri and iOS. Manufacturers had to build a special Made-for-iPhone authentication chip into their devices, which made products more expensive and certification slower than for Alexa; Apple only allowed software authentication from 2017. The list of compatible devices grew slowly for years.
HomeKit MFi Program Delays Leave Zero Accessories Available
Nearly eight months after Apple announced HomeKit at WWDC 2014, zero compatible accessories were available for purchase. Apple's MFi certification process, which required manufacturers to embed proprietary authentication chips, proved far more onerous than expected. The first HomeKit accessories would not ship until mid-2015, undermining the smart home platform's launch momentum and limiting early adopter value.
Foxconn Workers Face 152 Hours Monthly Overtime During Peak Season
Investigations revealed Foxconn assembly workers were forced to work 152 hours of overtime per month during the Apple peak production season (September-December 2014), far exceeding China's legal limit of 36 hours. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions publicly criticized Foxconn for imposing 'more than ten hours every day' on workers. Apple's 2014 audit found 700 violations across 459 suppliers but provided no evidence of specific corrective actions.
Apple Expands Capital Return Program to $200 Billion
Apple expanded its shareholder return program to $200 billion, having already returned over $112 billion since 2012 including $80 billion in buybacks. The company borrowed billions at low interest rates to fund repurchases rather than repatriating overseas cash at a 35% tax rate. This acceleration of capital returns established the shareholder-first framework during the period when HomeKit was struggling to attract accessory manufacturers.
Apple Music Launches with Siri Integration
Apple Music launched on June 30, 2015 at $9.99/month with deep Siri integration, establishing the voice assistant as a gateway to Apple's music subscription service. This laid the groundwork for HomePod's later role as a services funnel, where Siri would default to Apple Music for all music requests and third-party services would be deliberately disadvantaged.
Apple Announces HomePod at WWDC 2017
Apple unveiled HomePod at WWDC 2017 as a $349 music-first smart speaker built around Apple Music and Siri, with AirPlay 2 multi-room support announced the same day. Shipping was set for later in 2017 in the U.S., U.K. and Australia.
HomePod Requires Apple Music for Core Music Features
Days before HomePod shipped, Apple confirmed that playing an iCloud Music Library by voice required an Apple Music ($9.99/month) or iTunes Match ($24.99/year) subscription. Without one, owners could still play iTunes purchases, podcasts and Beats 1 radio, but Siri could not play songs by name, genre or artist. This service dependency was not prominently disclosed at the point of sale.
HomePod Launches at $349 with Apple-Only Ecosystem
Apple shipped the original HomePod on February 9, 2018 at $349, well above rival Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers. Reviews praised its sound but found Siri far less capable than Alexa or Google Assistant. Siri voice control worked natively only with Apple Music; Spotify users had to AirPlay from an iPhone or Mac, and with no Bluetooth streaming, Android phones could not connect to it wirelessly. Reviewers concluded it was for iPhone users only.
HomePod Leaves White Ring Stains on Wood Furniture
Within days of launch, reviewers found the HomePod's silicone base could leave white rings on wood treated with oil or wax; in Pocket-lint's test a ring appeared within 20 minutes and had faded, but not fully disappeared, days later. Apple said it is 'not unusual' for a speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks on some wooden surfaces, and suggested placing the HomePod elsewhere if concerned.
Apple Authorizes Record $100 Billion Stock Buyback
Apple announced a new $100 billion share repurchase authorization in May 2018, then the largest in U.S. history, after U.S. tax reform eased access to its overseas cash. Apple said it had returned $275 billion to shareholders since 2012, including $200 billion in buybacks. The scale of capital returned to shareholders rather than reinvested in products like the HomePod would become a recurring pattern.
Apple Cuts HomePod Price to $299 Amid Weak Sales
Apple permanently reduced the HomePod's price from $349 to $299, a 14% cut, after promotional discounts at retailers. Research firm CIRP estimated HomePod at just 6% of the U.S. smart speaker installed base at the end of 2018, against 70% for Amazon Echo and 24% for Google Home. Even at $299, the HomePod cost about three times a full-size Amazon Echo, limiting adoption to committed Apple ecosystem users.
Siri Grading Program Scandal Exposes Contractor Listening
The Guardian revealed that Apple contractors grading Siri recordings regularly heard confidential medical details, drug deals and couples having sex, with the Apple Watch and HomePod the most frequent sources of accidental activations. Apple suspended the program; a later Irish Examiner report said Cork-based contractors were each expected to review about 1,000 recordings per shift. On August 28, 2019 Apple apologized and said only employees would review audio, and only from users who opt in.
Apple Apologizes, Makes Siri Grading Opt-In
After reports that contractors heard confidential Siri recordings, Apple apologized, said it would no longer retain Siri audio by default, made audio grading opt-in, and limited listening to Apple employees, with inadvertent triggers to be deleted.
Apple Acknowledges Foxconn China Labor Violations
After a China Labor Watch report, Apple confirmed that Foxconn's Zhengzhou iPhone factory had broken its rules: dispatch (temporary) workers exceeded its standards, at about 50% of staff against a 10% legal cap according to CLW, and some employees worked more consecutive days than allowed. Apple said most of the report's allegations were false and that it was working with Foxconn to fix the problems; similar violations had been documented for years.
Epic Games Challenges Apple App Store with Fortnite Bypass
Epic Games implemented a direct payment option in Fortnite, bypassing Apple's 30% App Store commission. Apple immediately removed Fortnite from the App Store, and Epic filed an antitrust lawsuit. The case escalated into one of the most significant challenges to Apple's platform control, with a September 2021 ruling finding Apple's anti-steering provisions violated California competition law.
HomePod Mini Launches at $99 as Services Gateway
Apple unveiled the HomePod mini at $99, making its smart speaker platform accessible to a broader audience. The device featured the Apple S5 chip and a new Intercom feature. It kept the original's ecosystem model: Siri music requests built around Apple Music, AirPlay from Apple devices and no Bluetooth streaming, with Apple promising Pandora and Amazon Music support in the following months.
Apple One Subscription Bundle Creates Compounding Lock-in
Apple launched the Apple One bundle, packaging Apple Music, TV+, Arcade, and iCloud storage starting at $14.95/month for individuals and $29.95/month for the Premier tier. The bundle creates compounding switching costs for HomePod users: canceling any single service reduces bundle savings, making it incrementally more expensive to leave the Apple ecosystem with each added subscription.
Pandora Becomes First Third-Party Music Service on HomePod
Following Apple's opening of HomePod to third-party music services, Pandora launched HomePod integration with Siri control ahead of the HomePod mini's release. Users still had to name Pandora in each request because a default service could not yet be set.
Apple Discontinues Original HomePod After Three Years
Apple discontinued the original $299 HomePod after just three years on the market, citing a shift to focus on the HomePod mini. The move stranded owners of the premium speaker with a product Apple would classify as vintage in 2024. The discontinuation reflected the HomePod's commercial failure and Apple's strategic pivot toward using cheaper hardware as a services entry point.
EU Charges Apple with App Store Antitrust Breach
The European Commission sent Apple a Statement of Objections setting out its preliminary view that App Store rules distort competition for music streaming services. The case, opened in June 2020 after a 2019 Spotify complaint, targeted the mandatory use of Apple's in-app purchase system with its 30% commission and anti-steering provisions that stopped developers from telling users about cheaper subscription options outside the App Store. The anti-steering provisions directly affected how competing music services could reach HomePod users.
Epic v. Apple Ruling Finds Anti-Steering Provisions Unlawful
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in Epic Games v. Apple that Apple's anti-steering provisions violated California's Unfair Competition Law, issuing an injunction requiring Apple to allow developers to direct users to external payment options. While Apple won on nine of ten counts, this ruling established legal precedent against Apple's practice of preventing apps from informing users about cheaper alternatives outside the App Store.
Apple Towson Store Workers Vote to Unionize
Workers at Apple's Towson, Maryland store voted 65-33 to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, becoming the first Apple retail store in the United States to win formal union recognition. The month before, Apple's vice president of people and retail, Deirdre O'Brien, had sent a video to 58,000 retail staff warning about the drawbacks of unionizing.
Matter 1.0 Standard Released with Apple Support
The Connectivity Standards Alliance released Matter 1.0 in October 2022, and on October 24 Apple added support with iOS 16.1 and HomePod Software 16.1, which Apple said lets accessories work together across ecosystems. HomePod and HomePod mini serve as home hubs for Matter devices, partially reducing the smart home device lock-in that had characterized HomeKit since 2014.
Apple Raises Music and Service Subscription Prices
Apple raised Apple Music prices for the first time since its 2015 launch, increasing the individual plan from $9.99 to $10.99/month and the family plan from $14.99 to $16.99/month. Apple TV+ rose from $4.99 to $6.99/month. For HomePod users deeply integrated with Apple Music, the price increase directly affected the cost of maintaining the speaker's core music functionality.
HomePod 2nd Gen Launches with Minimal Upgrades
Apple released the second-generation HomePod at $299, nearly identical to the discontinued original. Reviewers found the sound quality 'very similar' with subtle differences, and Siri remained the primary weakness. The speaker added temperature and humidity sensors and Matter support but failed to address fundamental complaints about third-party streaming service limitations and Siri intelligence.
Apple Resumes Lobbying Against Right-to-Repair Bills
Six months after supporting California's right-to-repair bill, Apple opposed a stronger bill in Oregon. Apple's principal secure repair architect, John Perry, testified against it because it restricted parts pairing, the practice Apple uses to tie replacement components to specific devices, arguing it would undermine security, safety and privacy.
Apple Faces Lawsuit Over iCloud 5GB Storage Upsell
A class action led by plaintiff Julianna Felix Gamboa, filed by Hagens Berman, alleged Apple deliberately kept its free iCloud storage at 5GB since 2011 to push users into paid iCloud+ plans, and that by reserving full device backups (apps and settings) for iCloud it shut out rivals such as Google Drive and Dropbox. Users reported frequent prompts to upgrade their iCloud storage.
EU Fines Apple €1.84 Billion Over Spotify Anti-Steering
The European Commission fined Apple €1.84 billion for abusing its dominant position in the music streaming app distribution market, finding that Apple's anti-steering provisions prevented services like Spotify from informing users about cheaper subscriptions outside the App Store. The fine, triggered by Spotify's 2019 complaint, was the EU's first antitrust penalty against Apple. Apple immediately vowed to appeal.
HomePod Software 17.4 Lets Siri Learn Preferred Music Service
HomePod Software 17.4 let Siri learn a user's preferred media service (Pandora, Deezer, YouTube Music, TuneIn, iHeartRadio or Apple Music) so requests no longer need the app's name; the manual default setting was removed. Services without HomePod integration, such as Spotify, fall back to AirPlay from the iPhone.
DOJ Files Landmark Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple
The U.S. Department of Justice, joined by 16 state attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple alleging monopolization of smartphone markets. The complaint specifically cited restrictions on smartwatch cross-platform functionality, degraded cross-platform messaging (green bubbles), and blocked third-party payment systems. The suit threatened Apple's entire ecosystem control model, including HomePod's dependence on iPhone.
Apple Announces $110 Billion Buyback, Largest in U.S. History
Apple authorized a $110 billion stock repurchase program, the largest in U.S. corporate history. Combined with the $94.95 billion spent on buybacks in fiscal 2024, Apple returned over $100 billion to shareholders in a single year. The scale of capital extraction contrasted sharply with the HomePod 2's stagnation, which went the entire year without a hardware refresh.
Apple Classifies Original HomePod as Vintage Product
Apple added the original HomePod to its vintage products list, restricting repair availability despite the product being discontinued for only three years and four months. Apple's own policy states products become vintage after being discontinued for 'more than 5 and less than 7 years,' meaning the HomePod was classified early. This premature vintage designation effectively shortened the support window for original HomePod owners.
Apple Reaches First Retail Union Contract in Towson
Apple reached a tentative three-year contract with its unionized Towson, Maryland store, with an average 10% pay raise, scheduling protections, limits on contracted staff and a severance clause, pending a vote by about 85 employees.
Apple Settles Siri Privacy Lawsuit for $95 Million
Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging Siri recorded private conversations and shared them with third-party contractors from September 2014 to December 2024. HomePod was specifically named as a covered device. Eligible claimants could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device for a maximum of $100. Apple denied wrongdoing despite the settlement.
Apple Home Hub Smart Display Delayed to 2026
AppleInsider, citing Bloomberg's Power On newsletter, reported that Apple's rumored Home Hub, a HomePod-like device with a display, would now launch in 2026 because it depends on contextual Siri and Apple Intelligence features built on App Intents that were delayed into the next year. The delay extended the HomePod product line's stagnation.
EU Fines Apple €500 Million for DMA App Store Violations
The European Commission fined Apple €500 million for violating the Digital Markets Act's anti-steering provisions, finding that Apple prevented app developers from freely directing customers to cheaper alternatives outside the App Store. The fine affected approximately 130 million EU App Store users and app developers. Apple was ordered to eliminate technical and commercial restrictions within 60 days and appealed the decision.
Apple Found in Contempt for App Store Payment Restrictions
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple had violated her 2021 injunction by charging a 27% commission on purchases made through external payment links and discouraging their use. She ordered Apple to stop charging commissions on link-out purchases and referred the case for possible criminal contempt, saying an Apple vice president had 'outright lied' about when and why Apple chose the 27% fee.
Judge Denies Apple's Motion to Dismiss DOJ Antitrust Suit
The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey denied Apple's motion to dismiss the DOJ's monopolization lawsuit, finding the government had plausibly alleged monopoly power in U.S. smartphone and performance-smartphone markets and that its key allegations merited examination at trial. The claims concern restrictions on super apps, cross-platform messaging, smartwatches, cloud streaming and digital wallets.
Apple TV+ Price Jumps 30% to $12.99 Monthly
Apple raised the monthly Apple TV+ subscription from $9.99 to $12.99, a 30% increase. Combined with the 2022 Apple Music increase and unchanged Apple One bundle pricing, the hike made the Apple One bundle comparatively more attractive, nudging users toward the consolidated subscription that deepens HomePod ecosystem lock-in. The annual plan remained at $99.99, creating a pricing structure that rewards commitment over flexibility.
Judge Grants Final Approval to $95 Million Siri Settlement
A federal judge in Oakland approved Apple's $95 million settlement of Lopez v. Apple, the 2019 class action over Siri recording conversations without a deliberate activation. Apple did not admit wrongdoing.
China Labor Watch Exposes Ongoing Foxconn Violations
A China Labor Watch investigation found Apple's primary supplier Foxconn employed dispatch workers at five times the legal limit during iPhone 17 production, with workers clocking 60-75 hours per week. Student workers earned only 12 RMB/hour with forced overtime and night shifts. Discriminatory hiring barred Uighur, Tibetan, Yi, and Hui ethnic minorities. Critics characterized Apple's supply chain audits as 'empty rhetoric.'
HomePod 2nd Gen Reaches 1,000 Days Without Update
The second-generation HomePod reached 1,000 days since its launch with no hardware refresh, no successor announcement, and no sign of a new model. The HomePod mini had gone even longer without an update, dating back to October 2020. Apple's entire smart home hardware lineup stagnated while the company focused resources on services revenue and stock buybacks.
HomePod Software 26 Brings Connectivity Complaints
Owners reported HomePods dropping Wi-Fi, showing network errors, becoming unreachable by Siri and suffering AirPlay and touch-control problems after HomePod Software 26, often needing restarts or removal from the home to recover.
Apple Sets Record $10 Million in U.S. Lobbying Spending
Apple spent a record $10 million on U.S. federal lobbying in 2025, a 27.9% increase from 2024, with spending rising every quarter. App Store bills (the App Store Accountability Act, the Open App Markets Act and the App Store Freedom Act) appeared in every quarterly filing, alongside AI, trade and semiconductor issues.
Apple Ends Support for Old Home Architecture
Apple ended support for the pre-2022 Apple Home architecture; users who had not upgraded were told their Home app was no longer supported. The new architecture runs the home through a hub, and only an Apple TV or HomePod can act as one.
Apple Authorizes Another $100 Billion Buyback
Reporting a record March quarter with $111.2 billion in revenue, Apple's board authorized an additional $100 billion share repurchase program and raised the quarterly dividend 4% to $0.27.
Apple Raises HomePod Prices 17-30%
Citing memory and storage costs driven by AI data centers, Apple raised prices across Macs, iPads and home devices. The HomePod went from $299 to $349 and the HomePod mini from $99 to $129, making Apple's cheapest Matter hub more expensive than some rivals.
Apple Music Rises to $11.99
Apple raised Apple Music Individual from $10.99 to $11.99 a month, Family from $16.99 to $19.99 and Student to $6.99, and Apple One Family and Premier by $2, citing rising licensing costs. It was Apple Music's first increase since October 2022.
Apple Cuts About 200 Siri and Vision Pro Roles
Apple laid off roughly 200 employees, many working on Siri features and Vision Pro content, describing it as a realignment of teams, days before the CEO handover.
John Ternus Succeeds Tim Cook as Apple CEO
Hardware engineering chief John Ternus became Apple's CEO, with Tim Cook, CEO since 2011, staying on as executive chairman.
HomePod Software 27 Adds AutoMix, Keeps Original HomePod
HomePod Software 27 added Apple Music AutoMix transitions and faster AirPlay connections. Its beta was confirmed to support the original 2018 HomePod, eight years after launch and five years after discontinuation.
Siri AI Launches Without HomePod Support
Apple's rebuilt Siri AI launched with the OS 27 releases on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, but not on existing HomePods, even though HomePod Software 27 contains the underlying system. Reports suggest it may need new HomePod hardware.
AI Camera Summaries Tied to Pricier iCloud+ Tiers
iOS 27's Apple Intelligence motion summaries for HomeKit cameras, which need a HomePod or Apple TV hub, require a $9.99 iCloud+ plan for one camera, $29.99 for two and $59.99 for up to five, far above the plans needed for HomeKit Secure Video recording.
Evidence (45 citations)
D1: User Value Erosion
D2: Business Customer Exploitation
D3: Shareholder Extraction
D4: Lock-in & Switching Costs
D5: Twiddling & Algorithmic Opacity
D6: Dark Patterns
D7: Advertising & Monetization Pressure
D8: Competitive Conduct
D9: Labor & Governance
D10: Regulatory & Legal Posture
Scoring Log (8 entries)
Checked 86 items + prose. 38 verified, 27 corrected (9 date-only), 15 re-sourced, 6 removed (2 duplicates, 4 junk). Invented: (1) Matter 1.5/Thread 1.4 HomePod support in late 2025 (AI MarketMinute page; Matter Alpha shows Thread 1.4 pulled from tvOS 26, back only in 2026 betas); (2) Apple 'placed Foxconn on probation' in 2019 (CNN: Apple said it was working with Foxconn; probation was Pegatron 2020); (3) 'forced Apple One pop-up on HomePod' (thread is about the Music app on a Mac); (4) 'HomePod nags you to subscribe' (thread: terms prompt to an existing subscriber); (5) '$65 HomePod Mini' (Apple: $99); (6) ESG 'Significant' controversy level and investor pressure (AInvest AI page only). Also fixed: smart speaker share (CIRP 6%, not 4-6%/10-18%), buyback authorizations vs spending, services revenue vs Mac, Siri 1,000-per-shift attribution, Florida R2R lobbying misdated to 2024, Siri default-service claims superseded by HomePod 17.4, Apple Music/Apple One current prices.
49→40. Since Feb 2026: Home architecture cut-off (Feb), $100B buyback authorization (Apr), HomePod $299→$349 and mini $99→$129 (Jun 25), Apple Music $11.99 (Jul), ~200 Siri/Vision Pro layoffs (Aug), Ternus CEO (Sep 1), HomePod Software 27 (AutoMix, original HomePod still supported) but Siri AI launched without existing HomePods, AI camera summaries gated on $9.99-$59.99 iCloud+ tiers (Sep); new HomePod mini/home hub only rumored. Apple-wide conduct (App Store contempt, DOJ suit, EU DMA fines, buybacks, Foxconn) weighted only where it touches HomePod: Apple Music self-preferencing (EU €1.84B fine), Siri privacy, supply chain, under-investment and price pass-through. Dims: D1 5→4 (recalibration: stagnation and Siri gap, but features keep arriving and 2018 model still supported), D2 4→3 (correction: Apple opened HomePod to third-party music in 2020 and 17.4 learns preferred service; Spotify's absence is its own choice), D3 6→4 (recalibration: no large layoffs with buybacks, R&D rising; HomePod-specific neglect and price pass-through), D4 6→5 (recalibration: Matter/third-party music make switching realistic), D6 4→3 (correction: fact audit moved the Apple One pop-up to a Mac and the 'subscribe nag' to a terms prompt), D8 6→4 (recalibration: App Store/DOJ matters down-weighted; minor smart-speaker player), D10 6→5 (recalibration: App Store contempt/DMA down-weighted). Eras: 2014-06-01→2014-06-02, 2018-02-01→2018-02-09, 2020-10-01→2020-10-13 re-dated to launch events and kept; 'Hardware Stagnation' (2023-02-01) and 'Antitrust Convergence' (2026-02-19, an assessment date) merged into 'Second-Gen Stagnation' dated 2023-02-03 (HomePod 2 launch) since the same forces drive both. Gamboa iCloud suit: motion to dismiss denied 2025 (TopClassActions), in discovery; not added (iCloud-wide).
Removed typed-in site scores from alternatives text (they go stale on re-score; the page shows live scores). No other changes.
Triaged 2026-06-29; no rescore warranted (no material change since baseline, or changes sub-threshold).
Added 1 missing dimension narrative
Fixed score references: Amazon Alexa/Echo (56 → 62), Google Nest/Home (55 → 62), Home Assistant (14 → 7)