The new HomePod can still stain some wood surfaces

When the original HomePod launched in 2018, it was revealed to be the speaker It can leave white rings on some wood surfaces. Now, popular YouTuber Marques Brownlee has confirmed that the problem persists to a lesser extent with the new HomePod.

In side-by-side testing, it showed that the second-generation white HomePod left a white ring on the wooden surface the speaker was placed on, though the stain was weaker and took longer to appear than the one on the bottom of the original HomePod.

in support document First published in 2018, Apple has acknowledged that speakers with silicone vibration-damping feet can leave light marks on some wood surfaces as a result of oils spreading between the silicone feet and the table top:

It is not unusual for a speaker with a vibration dampening silicone base to leave light marks when placed on some wooden surface. The marks can be caused by oils spreading between the silicone base and the table top, and often disappear after several days when the speaker is removed from the wood surface. If not, gently wiping the surface with a soft, damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. If marks persist, clean the surface using the cleaning process recommended by the furniture manufacturer. If you are concerned about this, we recommend that you place the HomePod on a different surface.

Apple has not yet updated the support document to mention the second generation HomePod. The issue does not affect the HomePod mini.

Verify HomePod review report Get additional impressions of the speaker ahead of its launch on Friday. Most reviews have mentioned that the new HomePod looks very similar to or actually equal to the original model, and noted that many of Siri’s shortcomings when the HomePod first launched in 2018 have since been worked out. However, Siri still lags behind competitors like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant in some areas.