Space Gray HomePods are unavailable, but don't expect a product refresh

Apple HomePod in Space Gray on a table between two speakers (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

The Space Gray HomePod is "Currently Unavailable."
The lack of availability is likely due to production issues rather than an impending update.

Apple's HomePod is "Currently Unavailable" in the United States, although stocks do seem to be flowing across the rest of the globe. The White HomePod is also showing as available everywhere, too.

First spotted by Consomac, the lack of availability is more likely down to a manufacturing or distribution issue rather than any sort of impending refresh. We haven't heard any specific rumors to suggest a new HomePod is coming any time soon and we'd expect to see stock issues in more than one country, too.

That being said, Consomac is correct with its assertion that Apple's larger smart speaker is due some love, and it's missing the H1 chip that makes HomePod mini's fancy Handoff features so compelling.

Often times, Apple's most popular products have long lead times when supply struggles to keep up with demand. It is difficult to imagine this happening on the large model of HomePod, which has been in the catalog for nearly three years and which has always struggled to create widespread appeal . There is therefore something fishy. It may just be a supply glitch, but it's also tempting to see the first signs of lower inventory here in anticipation of an upcoming review. After three years without technical development and the release of a HomePod mini… Apple could finally decide to update the product.

You can bag yourself a HomePod in White, priced at $299, from the online Apple Store. Failing that, how about one of the best AirPlay 2 speakers on the market right now? There are plenty to choose from!

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.