Be careful where you put your HomePod.
Apple has confirmed that its recently released smart speaker can damage wood furniture, by leaving behind a nasty white ring on the surface.
The defect was spotted by Wirecutter, which noticed that a white ring appeared after the HomePod was placed on an ‘oiled butcher-block countertop’ and a wooden side table.
Pictured is a white ring left by the HomePod. Apple has said that it’s not unusual for any speaker’ with a silicone bottom to leave marks behind on wooden surfaces
Apple notes: ‘If the marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process,’ the firm continues, seemingly suggesting that the user might need to refinish their furniture in order for the ring to go away’
The issue comes as Apple’s £319 ($349) HomePod became available for sale in the US, UK and Australia on February 9.
Another post on Pocket-Lint said the mark appeared after just 20 minutes of the HomePod sitting on a oak kitchen countertop.
Apple has since updated its HomePod support page to reflect the issue, saying that the mark may be caused by oils diffusing between the device’s silicone base and the table surface.
So, it may not leave a ring behind on all wooden surfaces, just those that are treated with oil.
The firm added that the rings often go away after a few days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface.
Wiping the surface with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. Or, it may not, according to Apple.
Another user joked that their HomePod left marks in the shape of the Olympic rings
A parody account for Apple’s design head, Jony Ive, suggested the firm creat a $99 ‘HomePod Sock’ to prevent the device from leaving behind an ugly white mark
This June 5, 2017, file photo shows the HomePod speaker in a showroom during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose
‘If the marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process,’ the firm continues, seemingly suggesting that the user might need to refinish their furniture in order for the ring to go away.
Apple says that if neither of these options work, users should just move their HomePod to some other non-wooden surface.
‘If you’re concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface,’ Apple noted.
The iPhone maker reiterated that ‘it’s not unusual for any speaker’ with a silicone bottom to leave marks behind on wooden surfaces.
Many users have spotted an issue with Apple’s HomePod (pictured) smart speaker where it leaves an ugly white ring behind on wood surfaces that have been treated with oil
HOW CAN YOU REMOVE THE WHITE RING LEFT BY APPLE’S HOMEPOD?
Apple has confirmed that its recently released smart speaker can damage wood furniture, by leaving behind a nasty white ring on the surface.
The iPhone maker has since updated its HomePod support page to reflect the issue.
Apple says that the mark may be caused by oils diffusing between the device’s silicone base and the table surface.
Apple has said the HomePod should only leave behind a mark if the surface is treated with oil. To remove the white ring, users can wipe down the surface with a soft damp or dry rag
The company set out a few different steps to remove the white ring:
- The mark should go away on its own after the HomePod is moved
- Wiping the surface with a soft damp or dry cloth should remove the marks
- If not, Apple says the user should re-oil the wooden surface
- Users should also move their HomePod to a non-wooden surface or table to prevent damage
One Twitter user pointed out that his Echo Dot produced a similar mark when it was put on oiled wood.
Apple notably delayed shipping the HomePod until this year, as the firm said it ‘needed more time’ to perfect the device.
However, it appears that quality assurance testing wasn’t able to spot this issue, Slate noted.
Several users posted on Twitter that they’d noticed a white ring left behind by their HomePod
Still, it’s likely that this issue will only affect a small percentage of consumers.
That didn’t stop Twitter users from finding some comedic value in the design flub.
Some joked that Apple should instruct users to put a coaster under their HomePod, with one quipping that ‘ten ‘HomePod Coaster’ start ups were formed in the past two hours.’