Apple Claims HomePod Uses Less Power Than a Light Bulb

Apple has published its environmental report for HomePod, detailing, among other things, the product’s sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental impact.

The results? HomePod is, like many of Apple’s products and services, quite environmentally friendly for a tech product.

For example, Apple says that HomePod consumes less energy during routine music playback than an average Energy Star-certified LED light bulb.

While power draw will vary depending on HomePod’s volume, Apple says 50 percent volume will use about 8.74 watts at 115V of line voltage. For comparison’s sake, an average household LED bulb draws about 9 to 10 watts.

But that’s not all, HomePod is designed to save energy by entering a low-power mode after about eight minutes of inactivity. In this low-power mode, the smart speaker will only draw about 1.71 and 1.76 watts of power. “HomePod is designed to be efficient in its low power mode, where the majority of time is spent,” Apple wrote.

And speaking of Energy Star certifications, Apple boasts that HomePod outperforms the Program Requirements for Audio/Video Version 3.0. According to the report, HomePod consumes 50 percent less power than the allowable amount to qualify for an Energy “low power mode.”

But in addition to energy efficiency, Apple claims that HomePod is sustainable and environmentally friendly in other ways, too.

• HomePod, like all Apple products, is designed to source materials with lower-carbon emissions.
• Apple also partners with suppliers to procure clean energy to power their plants.
• 100 percent of its packaging fiber is sourced either from recycled paper or sustainable forests.
• Its packaging is also described as “ultracompact,” and sports good material efficiency and a small footprint. This allows for better shipping efficiency and generation of less material waste.
• HomePod is free of harmful chemicals and substances such as brominated flame retardants, PVC, and beryllium.

Apple’s commitment to sustainability is well-known. For three years, it’s been named the world’s most environmentally friendly tech firm by Greenpeace. Evidence of its environmental initiatives range from its extreme measures to create sustainable iPhone packaging, its 100-percent clean energy data centers, and its effort to get its supply partners to go green. Even its new Apple Park headquarters is designed with sustainability in mind.

Apple began taking pre-orders for HomePod today in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia — for $349, £319, and $499, respectively. The smart speaker is slated to ship out to customers on Friday, Feb. 9.

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