If you're on the hunt for a bargain on Apple's HomePod this Black Friday, your search is officially over. While some sites showcase just about every shop and website you can buy the HomePod, discounted or not, we've manually scoured the web and, using our tech expertise, handpicked the best value deals available ahead of Black Friday.
Best HomePod deals right now
Over the summer 2020 months resellers were heavily discounting the HomePod, with some selling the smart speaker for £199. However, those deals are now no more:
If you're on the hunt for a great HomePod deal, the current offering is relatively scarce, but here are some of the best you'll find right now in the UK:
The HomePod is, like most Apple products, premium when compared to the competition. It costs £279 in the UK following a price reduction in April 2019, putting it in line with the likes of Google's Home Max speaker.
But why is the price so much higher than the competition? Apple has focused primarily on audio quality with the HomePod, offering premium-level room-filling audio that can be automatically tweaked depending on where the speaker is in the room.
You've also got access to Siri, albeit a basic version that doesn't quite match the functionality of Siri on iPhones, iPads and even Macs, and it's one of very few smart speakers that offers integration with Apple's streaming service, Apple Music.
Plus, if you've got money burning a figurative hole in your pocket, you can pick up a second HomePod and connect them for stereo playback.
If you want to find out more about the smart speaker before picking one up, take a look at our HomePod review. We also run through exactly what the HomePod can do here. We compare the HomePod to the competition here, and there's also a list of the best smart speakers available on our sister site Tech Advisor for those that want more inspiration.
You've also got the newly introduced HomePod Mini. At £99/$99 it's certainly more budget-friendly than the standard HomePod, and as the name indicates, it's pretty small - no really, it's around 3in tall. But despite the small exterior, it still offers great audio playback capabilities, access to Siri and all the other smarts available on the full-size HomePod.
The catch is that the price makes it incredibly popular, with deals non-existent right now. You'd be lucky enough to find it in stock in the UK this Black Friday:
Where to find HomePod deals
Generally speaking, Apple isn't a company that joins in with the sales bonanzas. But, while Apple doesn't offer discounts on its range, other retailers do.
We've seen the likes of Amazon, John Lewis and other UK retailers posting discounts and deals on must-have Apple products including the HomePod. You've even got UK carriers getting in on the HomePod action, with the likes of EE offering existing customers the option of spreading the cost of the speaker over the course of 11 months.
You've also traditionally had the option of heading to Apple's Refurb Store to pick up a discounted HomePod, but these are out of stock right now. The refurbished models are (as the name suggests) pre-owned, but Apple meticulously checks every unit before shipping them out to consumers so you shouldn't notice much of a difference in quality compared to a brand new unit.
Should you wait for a better Black Friday deal?
Black Friday is set to take place on Friday 27 November, immediately followed by Cyber Monday on 30 November. These are traditionally the biggest sales event of the year, so it may yet throw up some even greater deals, but 2020 isn't a normal year.
With so much uncertainty around finance and retail, and no guarantees regarding what kind of discounts we will see as the month goes on, we advise you not to wait: if you see a deal you like, on a product you need, and you can afford the outlay, buy it today.
