Amazon Launches New $99 Echo Speaker With Better Sound and $149 Echo Plus Smart Home Hub

[Mike Oxard]

Well looking how 'great' Siri works on all the Apple devices it seems like Apple is building a really expensive speaker with a ****** voice assistant. Alexa is just so so much better.

Hmm, let me think about that. I'll tap you when I'm ready.

 

[petsounds]

I don't know how it's going to sound (though with only a single tweeter and woofer it'll still be a monophonic experience), but it looks ugly as sin.

 

[Mike Oxard]

If you're using VOIP, why would you need a telephone landline? And if you're still using DSL... why in the name of all that is holy are you still using DSL?

Most houses in the UK still have landlines to get internet. We still get good speeds, the copper only runs from the cabinet in the street to the house, it's fibre the rest of the way. Most people get their internet from a phone company, cable uptake was high but nothing like the scale elsewhere, and it has limited availability out of towns.

 

[bookcase]

I wish they'd just announce the Prime app for the Apple TV.

 

[Michael Scrip]

And who said the home pod was going against amazon echo?

Both do voice-command home automation ("turn on the lights")
Both can answer questions ("when is Labor Day?")
Both can be personal assistants ("add X to my calendar")
Both can play music ("play Hotel California")

If it walks like a duck...

While I can agree that the HomePod is a more of an "audiophile" speaker versus the Echo... the market will see them as peers.

It doesn't matter if Apple considers the HomePod to be "going against" the Echo or not. They are similar enough.

If anything, with Airplay 2 with multi room audio support, its more Sonos that happens to have extra features like siri.

Sure... the HomePod will be the "Sonos of smart speakers"

But the Echo is a smart speaker too.

So again... HomePod and Echo are peers. And it's perfectly acceptable to compare them as such.

 

[mi7chy]

Pre-order is live for the new Fire TV 3rd gen.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N32NCPM/

 

[ersan191]

Laughing at the Echo connect, who still has a home phone these days? I know there are some, but really, it is very few people.

Personally I'm going to grab a Verizon Home Phone Connect (they go for like $11 on eBay without a battery) and then I'll be able to use Echo to make and receive calls through Verizon. Doesn't work for text messages though, which is unfortunate.

Actually what I'll probably do is see if the HomePod is worth it first.

 

[deany]

Yep 4th October will be a game changer.
SONOS announcing Alexa integration for existing SONOS users and their new Play One with Alexa built in.

 

[RickInHouston]

Every device you've used Siri on so far has had a single very tiny microphone. The HomePod has a whole bunch of larger microphones, carefully arranged to listen to anywhere in the room (the Amazon and Google speaker/assistants also have multiple microphones). Siri will hear much more clearly on the HomePod, getting rid of one of her two problems. She may still be ditzy about comprehending and answering, we don't know yet, that remains to be seen - if they have substantial improvements in that area, they may be waiting for the HomePod to reveal them.

So Siri is only a speaker problem. Well, then, that clears that up!

 

[deany]

Laughing at the Echo connect, who still has a home phone these days? I know there are some, but really, it is very few people.

UK becoming more like USA and a decrease of residential land lines. Skype now supports 999, which was a barrier for uptake a few years ago when Skype didn't support emergency services.

 

[vipergts2207]

Amazon is taking a different approach however - integration with Sonos. I have a nice setup throughout my house of various Sonos speakers. Alexa will integrate with Sonos soon. Most likely the announcement will be on October 4. As much as I love Apple products, nothing comes close to Sonos. I'm hoping Homepod or Siri in general with integrate with Sonos, but Amazon is already one step ahead.

With AirPlay 2 coming I think Apple is actually the better option for whole home audio. You can get a speaker from any manufacturer that supports Airplay 2 and can integrate it into your system. With Sonos however, you're locked into their speakers which are very expensive for what you get. With AirPlay 2, you can also use an Apple TV in your entertainment center where you may already have a 5.1 setup.

 

[deany]

With AirPlay 2 coming I think Apple is actually the better option for whole home audio. You can get a speaker from any manufacturer that supports Airplay 2 and can integrate it into your system. With Sonos however, you're locked into their speakers which are very expensive for what you get. With AirPlay 2, you can also use an Apple TV in your entertainment center where you may already have a 5.1 setup.

SONOS have SONOS net a mesh that works in all rooms of the house, its seamless, it works, its amazing.

 

[its93rc]

The crappy Amazon logo kills it for me. The $99 HomePod looking one is decent but yikes at that logo -- it does not look 'premium;' it's just there.

 

[Westside guy]

Well looking how 'great' Siri works on all the Apple devices it seems like Apple is building a really expensive speaker with a ****** voice assistant. Alexa is just so so much better.

I share your opinion of Siri, but in my experience Alexa is equally bad. Frankly none of the current crop of virtual assistants seem very good - Google's is probably the best of them, but that's damning with faint praise.

 

[DoctorDoctor]

Laughing at the Echo connect, who still has a home phone these days? I know there are some, but really, it is very few people.

Actually you are quite wrong. Recent studies have shown that almost 50% of households still have a regular phone line.

http://nypost.com/2017/05/04/why-nearly-46-percent-of-household-still-have-landlines/

 

[MrXiro]

Meh. For $99 you it may have better sound than their previous speakers but it's not going to be on the level of the HomePod.

I wouldn't even go as far as to call it direct competition. Then intentions of the two devices are much different.

Eh... The Echo is going for the "good enough" crowd while the Homepod is going for the Elitists crowd like a Sono's user.

Different markets.

Personally I'd rather buy 3 Echos to place around the house than one Homepod. But it's more that I can't afford to buy 2 Homepods.

 

[vipergts2207]

SONOS have SONOS net a mesh that works in all rooms of the house, its seamless, it works, its amazing.

I'm guessing most people's homes can be covered with a single router anyway, so the benefit of a mesh network ability is a bit dubious.

 

[bobenhaus]

Meh. For $99 you it may have better sound than their previous speakers but it's not going to be on the level of the HomePod.

I wouldn't even go as far as to call it direct competition. Then intentions of the two devices are much different.

You honestly believe more expensive means better??

 

[iMi]

I have an Apple Music subscription. How does this help? It doesn't... On the other hand, if you use Amazon for music, then this is the best and obvious choice.

 

[BruceEBonus]

This is a classic reason why Apple can't laurel-rest like they have been. The competition isn't so much catching up - they've caught up. And they've got the products NOW. And for less than half the price. Competition is a good thing. The market has changed and 'pipeline products' don't cut it any more. The Echo is by no means perfect. To be honest it's still a gimmick item rather than an essential one. But it's there. It's cheap and for the money an ideal spontaneous purchase for many people especially as Christmas approaches. Amazon ain't daft!.

 

[RickInHouston]

I'm going to buy an Echo Spot.

Also, Fire TV: 4K 60 fps, Dolby Atmos, HDR. $70. Wow.

 

[r03dz]

Apple always waits and releases the best version of something. They have said many times "we aren't the first, but we are the best"

Siri is still last.

 

[eyez73]

Well looking how 'great' Siri works on all the Apple devices it seems like Apple is building a really expensive speaker with a ****** voice assistant. Alexa is just so so much better.

100% agree. I've tried Siri again with iOS 11 and within days have returned to the Echo.

 

[dantracht]

As much as I am fully, and I mean FULLY, integrated in the Apple ecosystem (Macs, MacBooks, Apple TV's, etc) Amazon has nailed it with the echo line, Alexa, and the skills. Being able to whole home Amazon music, and being able to play Sirius through echo, plus her skills, makes it the game to beat at this point.

As great a speaker as HomePod is supposed to be, I think Apple has their work cut out for them.

 

[eyez73]

Most houses in the UK still have landlines to get internet. We still get good speeds, the copper only runs from the cabinet in the street to the house, it's fibre the rest of the way. Most people get their internet from a phone company, cable uptake was high but nothing like the scale elsewhere, and it has limited availability out of towns.

I run a small IT company and 9 out of 10 of my customers are using ADSL.