Unlike the first HomePod, the new model is not a nightmare to open up
Opening up the new HomePod is a lot easier than opening the previous model. [credit: iFixit ]
iFixit has published a short video of a teardown of the new, second-generation HomePod that launched on February 3 for $299. There's perhaps not as much to see as there is in an iPhone or Mac teardown, but the important thing is that it's relatively good news for repair shops or users who want to go the DIY repair route.
When iFixit did its first teardown of the original HomePod, it was an ugly sight-plastic pieces stuck together required prying, and pieces had to be destroyed to get in at all. The original video was a bit comical to watch for how extreme the process was-Apple clearly did not intend anyone but its own technicians to open the device.
People eventually figured out better ways to do it, but it was never simple or easy. The discontinuation of that first HomePod was surely welcome news for a lot of fixers.