You've probably been there. It’s midnight on a Friday, your eyes are stinging from blue light, and you're refreshing a browser tab hoping that the HomePod 2 price magically drops under $200. It rarely does. Honestly, Apple is stingy. They love their premium branding more than they love your holiday budget. If you go straight to the Apple Store during a HomePod Black Friday event, you’ll likely walk away with a $50 gift card instead of an actual discount on the hardware.
That’s the game.
Buying a HomePod during the holidays is less about finding a "sale" and more about hunting for the retailers who are willing to eat the margin that Apple refuses to budge on. Places like Best Buy, B&H Photo, and occasionally Costco are your real targets. If you're looking for the mini, you're chasing a different beast entirely. We’re talking about a device that usually retails for $99, but hits $79 or even $69 if a retailer is feeling particularly aggressive. Is it worth the headache? If you’re deep in the ecosystem, yeah. If not, you might find Siri’s limitations a bit grating for the price tag.
The Reality of HomePod Black Friday Price History
Let's look at the numbers because they don't lie. Last year, the HomePod (2nd Gen) saw its first real price movement. It’s a $299 speaker. On a good day in November, you could find it for $279. Some shoppers got lucky with a $249 doorbuster, but those disappear faster than a 15-inch MacBook Air at a steep discount.
The HomePod mini is where the volume is. People buy these in pairs for stereo sound or to scatter them across the house for an intercom system. Because the entry price is lower, the percentage-off looks better, even if you're only saving twenty bucks.
Retailers use the mini as a "loss leader." They lose money on the speaker just to get you into the store so you’ll buy a $60 HDMI cable or a new iPad. You should take advantage of that. Don't feel bad for them. They've accounted for this in their quarterly projections.
Why the 2nd Gen is the One to Watch
The original HomePod—the "OG" as people call it—was a bit of a disaster for Apple initially. It sounded incredible but it was too expensive and the tethered power cable was a weird choice. Then it was discontinued. Then it became a cult classic. Now, with the 2nd Gen, Apple fixed the internals and added Matter support.
Matter is a big deal.
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It means your HomePod Black Friday purchase isn't just a speaker; it’s a smart home hub that talks to your non-Apple light bulbs and thermostats. If you see the 2nd Gen for anything under $250, you buy it. No questions. That is the floor for that device.
Where to Actually Shop (And Where to Avoid)
Most people instinctively go to Amazon. It makes sense. It's easy. But Amazon and Apple have a weird relationship. Sometimes the stock is there, sometimes it isn't.
Best Buy is often the winner here. They have a "Member Deals" program that often shaves an extra $10 or $20 off the public Black Friday price. If you’re a My Best Buy Plus member, you’re basically guaranteed the lowest price on the market.
- Costco: Usually sells the HomePod mini in two-packs. If you need a whole-home setup, this is the play.
- Target: Great for the mini, but they rarely stock the full-size HomePod in the same volume.
- B&H Photo: The dark horse. They don't charge sales tax in many states if you use their Payboo card, which can save you more than the actual discount.
Avoid the "bundles" you see on random third-party sites. If you see a site offering a HomePod plus a "free" smart plug for $350, they're just overcharging you for the speaker and giving you a $5 plug. Do the math. It’s usually a scam or just a really bad deal masquerading as a holiday special.
Sound Quality vs. Smart Features
Let’s be real for a second. Siri isn't as smart as Alexa or Google Assistant when it comes to answering random trivia. If you ask Siri "Who won the World Series in 1974?" she might get it. If you ask her to "Find a recipe for vegan lasagna that doesn't use nutritional yeast," she might just send a link to your phone.
It's annoying.
But you aren't buying a HomePod for its IQ. You're buying it for the computational audio. The way a HomePod analyzes a room's acoustics in real-time is genuinely impressive. It uses an internal microphone to listen to the reflections of its own bass and adjusts the EQ on the fly.
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If you put a HomePod in a corner, it sounds different than if you put it in the middle of a room. This isn't just marketing fluff. It actually works. For $250-ish on Black Friday, you’re getting a speaker that rivals $500 bookshelf setups in terms of clarity and soundstage, even if it can't tell you a joke as well as an Echo can.
The Stereo Pair Secret
If you can find two HomePod minis for $150 total during a HomePod Black Friday sale, do it. A single mini is fine for a kitchen. A stereo pair of minis is a legitimate desktop audio system.
When you pair them, they don't just play the same audio. They split the left and right channels perfectly. Because they are so small, the stereo separation creates a "phantom center" that makes it sound like the singer is standing right in front of your monitor. It’s one of the best value-for-money upgrades in the entire Apple ecosystem.
Is the Refurbished Route Better?
Sometimes the best Black Friday deal isn't even part of Black Friday. Apple’s Refurbished Store is the gold standard for used gear. Everything is cleaned, tested, and comes with a new outer shell and a one-year warranty.
During the holiday season, Apple often dumps their trade-in stock here. You might find a HomePod for $229 or $239. Is it "New"? No. Is it indistinguishable from new? Yes.
Just keep in mind that these sell out in minutes. You need a tracker like Refurb Tracker or a dedicated RSS feed to catch them. If you’re waiting for the Friday after Thanksgiving to check the refurb site, you’ve already lost.
Dealing with the "Apple Tax" During Sales
We have to talk about the accessories. Apple will try to sell you AppleCare+ for your HomePod. It's usually around $39.
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Is it worth it?
For a desktop speaker that never moves? Probably not. For a HomePod mini that sits on a kitchen counter where kids might knock a glass of orange juice onto it? Absolutely. Unlike an iPhone, you aren't going to drop your HomePod on a sidewalk, but liquid damage is the silent killer of smart speakers. If you're buying these as gifts for people with chaotic households, factor that $39 into your "sale" price.
Actionable Steps for Your HomePod Search
Stop waiting for a "massive" price drop. It won't happen. Apple hardware has a value floor that retailers are contractually obligated to respect. Instead of hoping for a miracle, follow this specific workflow to ensure you get the best possible price this November.
First, download the apps for Best Buy and Target now. Set up your payment info so you aren't fumbling with a credit card at 2:00 AM. Retail stock for the Midnight and Space Gray colors always goes first. If you're okay with the White or Yellow versions of the mini, you can usually afford to wait an extra day.
Second, check your credit card rewards. Many Chase and Amex cards offer "5% back at Amazon" or "10% back at Best Buy" specifically during Q4. Combining a $20 discount with a 10% statement credit is how you actually beat the system.
Third, monitor the "Price Match" policies. Most major retailers stop price-matching during the actual Black Friday weekend. If you see a price you like on the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving, buy it then. The price won't go lower on Friday, and you'll avoid the "Out of Stock" nightmare.
Finally, if you’re buying a 2nd Gen HomePod for home theater use, make sure your TV supports eARC. You need that to feed all your TV's audio (including from a gaming console) through the HomePods. Without eARC, the HomePod only plays audio from the Apple TV box itself. Knowing this now saves you from a frustrating setup process once the package arrives.
The deals are out there. Just don't expect Apple to hand them to you on a silver platter. You have to be faster than the bots and smarter than the average shopper. Get your accounts ready, watch the big-box retailers, and pull the trigger the moment you see that $249 or $79 price point.