As much as I like Apple products, I'm currently invested in Amazon Echos and Echo Dots throughout my home that control a multitude of things. I really don't see me switching at this time.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
$99 Speaker Showdown: HomePod Mini vs. Amazon Echo and Google Nest Audio
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Nah.
The Beosound 2 is my cup of tea. (Beosound 1 is nice as well).
Bought mine in a beautiful brass tone.
Different price-point though.
The Beosound 2 is my cup of tea. (Beosound 1 is nice as well).
Bought mine in a beautiful brass tone.
Different price-point though.
This is my problem. I'd be happy to go all Apple on this for a variety of reasons such as sound quality, security, and overall ecosystem connection with my other apple products, but the 3rd-party device ecosystem simply isn't there. If all products supported siri shortcuts, maybe....but even then it's manual setup to get it to support what Alexa does out of the box. Homekit support is great and certainly more secure, but it simply adds too much cost to a product and so manufacturers aren't doing it in volume and so the options out there are simply too small to go all homekit with a smart home. Alexa tends to support them all.
The 3GS when it was new was still years ahead of Samsung. I don’t think Samsung had finished its pivot to Android by that point, for one, and, for two, people forget how primitive Android 1.x was, even relative to how primitive early versions of iOS were.
As for the idea of Amazon and smart home integration, the primary difference between Echo/Alexa for home automation and HomeKit is this: to add support for Alexa, basically a device manufacturer just has to have the ability to receive a ping on an IP address. The device runs a webserver (which, if it has upgradable firmware, is easy to add after the fact) with something like a JSON API, the sort of thing I could probably code in my sleep, that’s how basic it is. Then the Alexa skill just sends an API request to that server. HomeKit, on the other hand, requires certification and hardware support, but it’s also more secure.
That said, if you’re willing to get your hands dirty and use unsupported systems, there’s always HomeBridge. With it, you can coerce just about any home automation system to work with HomeKit. You can even get old-timey X10 equipment from the MS-DOS days to work with HomeKit, including remote access. (Could you do the same with Alexa, using the same hardware? Sure, but you miss out on all the advantages of HomeKit. For one, custom home automation using HomeKit is generally so much easier than with Alexa, where you actually have to understand programming to get multiple devices working together, like sensors and outlets.)
I mean, no offense, but this is a little like me complaining about the cost of, I dunno, some luxury watch or something. A HomePod is something I’m glad to have, sure, but, like the luxury watch, it’s hardly essential. Tech enthusiast or not, it’s not like people are forcing you to read this article or buy a smart speaker at gunpoint. And, if you live in a place that poor, you likely have electrical grid reliability issues, which puts a damper on the whole idea of smart speakers in general.
Again, no offense, but if you only make $99 a month, maybe you shouldn’t be reading articles about $99 speakers and complaining about how unaffordable they are? I don’t hang out on, say, Hodinkee and complain about Rolex or Tag Heuer prices, despite my interest in timepieces. I dunno, it just strikes me as hypocritical in some way.
I wish the Homepod Mini had support for streaming SiriusXM. That is keeping me from buying one. I love the ability to stream Apple Music through it but I also like to listen to SiriusXM for different content. If they could figure that out, I would buy one ASAP. Right now, I have a free Google Nest that allows me to listen to SiriusXM but not Apple Music. I would much prefer an Apple product that can do it all.
Also, when is Apple going to get their act together and get Siri up to par with Alexa and Hey Google? It's laughable that they cannot make their AI work at least as well as their competitors.
Also, when is Apple going to get their act together and get Siri up to par with Alexa and Hey Google? It's laughable that they cannot make their AI work at least as well as their competitors.
I’m wondering what home automation tasks you want to do with Amazon Echo/Alexa that you’re years and years away from doing with a Home Pod/Siri.
I think the poster was just talking about the number of devices with support. And it’s super easy to add Alexa support (just no guarantee it actually works).
In terms of functionality, though, if I’m not mistaken, absent writing your own Alexa skill, you’re really just limited to “Alexa, dim the sconces in the hallway” or something like that. Addressing individual devices one at a time and requiring an active trigger. Basically, it’s an expensive, glorified Clapper that isn’t as easy to use. Not really what I’d call automation, yeah. But it’s super easy for me, using HomeKit, to turn on a lamp when I get home at night. I can even set different rules based on what time I get home. If I get home after 10PM, the lamp will shut off after a half hour instead of turning off at 11PM. I have a heater that turns on when the temperature in my room dips below 68° and turns off when it hits 72° (over the summer, I did the opposite, turned on the AC when the room hit 72° and turned it off when it hit 68°). And I know I’m underutilizing HomeKit’s power, even without accounting for something like HomeBridge or even Shortcuts, let alone custom scripts.
You are mistaken. Alexa does offer more features including routines and grouping in a similar and sometimes more extended way than homekit does for smart items. Depending on the device that can be setup through the Alexa app and the functionality transfers to the Echo. Different groups. Different options for colors for lights that support it. Different functionality for video cams that support alexa but don't support homekit on the Alexas with a video for instance. Can change temperatures of rooms and can still support triggers from various items.
I like homekit a lot and I even often debate spending more on homekit items when there is a choice, but some devices simply don't exist in the homekit realm, or they are not even close in affordability.
https://www.techhive.com/article/3327501/how-to-use-alexa-routines.html - this is an older article from 2018 but it does explain some "routine" options with Alexa including location.
Last edited:
I agree, but I'm assuming that a battery would have taken up too much space, thus making it bigger and/or sacrificing sound quality. Possibly, they just want to hold off on that until v2 to give people a reason to upgrade?
Get yourself the app named 'Airfoil'. It not only allows you to stream music to the HomePod minis via unsupported third-party music apps like Spotify, it also has a built-in 9-band equalizer as well as quite a few presets. However, it does cost $29.
For it to hear the trigger word one must assume it is always listening even if only for that.
I guess that's up to Spotify BUT if you pay $29 (there is a free trial) for the app named 'Airfoil' you can use the app to steam Spotify music to HomePod mini(s). Airfoil also has a built-in equalizer to make up for some of the minor shortcomings of the sound quality of the minis.
I bought two HomePod minis and paired them for stereo. Apple Music supports this configuration by default. Using Airfoil I stream Spotify to my mini stereo pair all the time.
Sorry, there's just no reason not to invest in a good Sonos system. Better overall quality. Worth the money.
It listens for the trigger word. There's no recording or transfer of data until Siri is triggered.
This is the second review that mentions using the HomePod mini with a battery... has anyone got this to work?
As long as Siri remains dumb as a dodo, there is no point in buying a Homepod.
It's functionality is laughable at best and calling it a "Smart" Assistant is being more than generous.
It's functionality is laughable at best and calling it a "Smart" Assistant is being more than generous.
I thought more like you when Siri was just an iPhone thing. I even have a Photos screenshots library of Siri’s stupidest answers. But now as a hub in my house Siri is excellent at:
- Controlling my smart home (lights, shades, temp, TV) via HomeKit’s comprehensive action library
- Telling me the weather
- Playing music on command
- Announcing sports scores
That’s all I need. I didn’t buy a HomePod to have conversations, ask elaborate questions, or play trivia (although Siri’s not bad if you phrase the question right). And I’d never shop with one.
So what exactly do you need from an electronic assistant that doesn’t make you laugh?
typical that I want to pick a few up but can't find any in stock or any sign they will be in stock anytime soon. oh well
HomePods what they do are very good. if you want in-depth answers then yes google assistant is better but when you are part of the ecosystem the HomePod are great for anything from music, messages, reminders and hand off works really well no other smart speaker can do these tasks like HomePod can and thats the main pull in this.