Apple HomePod Has Damaged Some Owners’ Wooden Furniture

When Apple announced its much anticipated smart speaker last year, consumers were left disappointed when the firm delayed its release date. The HomePod is finally on sale around the world, and although it’s gathered mostly positive reviews so far, owners are complaining about annoying new flaw.

After placing the smart speaker on wooden surfaces, some users have noticed that it leaves behind a strange white mark – even damaging expensive furniture.

People have taken to social media platforms such as Twitter to discuss the problem. One user called the situation “unfortunate”, suggesting that the firm should have noticed the fault in the design stage.

“After all a designer does, there are some unforeseen issues that always arise…. but this is something that could easily have been caught in the design process,” they wrote.

Apple has since confirmed that its new speaker may cause damage to wooden furniture and has created a dedicated help page to support customers who are experiencing this issue. 

On the page, the company claims that it is not “unusual for any speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces”.

It attributed the problem to “oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface. However, Apple has reassured customers that they “often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface”.

The company added: “If not, wiping the surface gently with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. If marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer’s recommended cleaning process.”

Wirecutter and PocketLint are among the tech websites that have produced reviews of the speaker, but they too have noticed this flaw.

Stuart Miles, founder of PocketLint, told the BBC that he had to “sand the wood down and then re-oil it” in order to eradicate the damage.

He said: “It wasn’t the end of the world for us. But if you’ve bought an expensive Scandinavian sideboard or some beautiful piece of wooden furniture and then got a mark on it from the speaker, you can imagine the horror.”

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