Quote:The problem is simple. The HomePod is a $350 speaker that works exclusively and only with Apple products. It can stream music if you have an Apple Music subscription. It can stream music from iTunes Music purchases, or the iCloud Music Library. It can stream audio from a different device, provided it’s from Apple and supports AirPlay. And that’s it. There’s no Bluetooth support. There’s no wired audio support. There’s no way to use the HomePod as an output for a different A/V device, and you can’t even replace the power cable (technically you can, but Apple doesn’t consider this a user-repairable option).

In other words, the HomePod is an extraordinarily limited speaker. It doesn’t even work with the Android version of Apple Music. And now, there’s evidence, admitted by Apple itself, that the HomePod can stain and mar certain types of countertops — potentially permanently.