Amazon Working on Echo Successor to Rival Apple's HomePod

[Sy7ygy]

I love how Apple enters a product category and raises the bar 10 levels, then other companies have to try to catch up (and sometimes surpass). Without Apple we'd only have clumsy, unrefined devices (though we'd probably be ignorantly blissful), and without competition we would never be able to afford these better products.

Granted Apple falls short sometimes (Siri).

Apple haven't even entered this market - HomePod for all intents and purposes is just a box right now.

You visit an Apple fanboy website and believe the delusional titles of their 'News'.

If Amazon are releasing a new Echo, or one with additional features; it's not because of Apple, it's because they are confident enough to invest more into a platform that has taken this space by storm.

This isn't 2010 anymore, Apple are just a shady corporate machine.

 

[skellener]

Rival? I guess....sure, make a better speaker. I don't think Amazon has much to worry about. It's really just Apple iPod Hi-Fi 2 but even less useful since it won't charge your iphone/ipod. How many of those did Apple sell again? LOL!

 

[nutmac]

I think we can all agree that all things considered, Siri is behind Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The degree of how far behind is subject for debate, but it is behind and there's huge room for improvements. It is also for this reason HomePod is marketed as a Sonus competitor, with a focus on audio quality.

By the same token, I think we can agree that Amazon Echo and Google Home are subpar speakers at best.

It has certainly taken Amazon a long time to respond, but it is only natural for Amazon to improve Echo's audio quality.

Meanwhile, it would be in Apple's best interest to work furiously behind the scene to improve Siri (underpromise, over deliver). It is worth noting that Siri is a back-end service like Apple Maps, and it can be improved independent to iOS and macOS.

My main concern is not expanding SiriKit in iOS 11, which could then be leveraged into HomePod. SiriKit was very limited when it was unveiled with iOS 10. Now, it's just embarrassing.

 

[robeddie]

They aren’t competitors, so ok?

They absolutely are.

People looking for a speaker that can play music but also respond to voice commands will look at both products. Many will choose the Echo.
Others, who decide that they also want this device to have better quality sound will choose the Apple one.

Ultimately people will weigh the features of both, including sound quality vs. price, and finally settle on one or the other.

That makes them very much competitors

 

[itsmilo]

Still looks like crap tho

 

[JustinKent]

Both of these products can co-exist in the marketplace, because every user has a different use case.

Regarding the question of "which is easier to improve, audio quality or intelligent assistant?" As a user:

• Upgrading the speakers on the Echo requires purchasing a brand new unit.
• Upgrading Siri on HomePod will be completely transparent and happen continuously over time.

 

[subjonas]

If Amazon are releasing a new Echo, or one with additional features; it's not because of Apple, it's because they are confident enough to invest more into a platform that has taken this space by storm.

Not going to argue against those other points but denying that Apple's homepod announcement has anything to do with this major upgrade seems like a major stretch. But who knows, I guess.

 

[Born Again]

anyone notice that apple logo on the echo?

 

[Mtmspa]

I bought an Echo for 90 bucks on Prime day and Apple is trying to get $350 for Apple Home or whatever. Get lost.

Echo does everything I need it to.

The lack of understanding on this board is depressing. HomePod is not competing with the Echo or Home.

 

[npmacuser5]

I’m suppose that’s possible with poor media reporting. But Apple’s pitch at WWDC was a great sounding speaker and pretty much all about music. The pitch focused very little on Siri queries (outside of music).
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Or perhaps they’re not as popular as the media wants us to believe. You wouldn’t discount a product that’s selling really well. Also discounting could get people to wait thinking a new model is around the corner.

Amazon strategy, across all of its business models, give away the razor, sell the blades. It took Amazon many years to make any profit at all. Their pricing strategy, to drive the business not make a huge profit on one device, like Apple. Amazon very successful the result.

 

[ke-iron]

I bought an Echo for 90 bucks on Prime day and Apple is trying to get $350 for Apple Home or whatever. Get lost.

Echo does everything I need it to.

Just because you’re satisfied with the performance of an echo, it doesn’t mean that other people do not want a product that will out perform the echo in every way. You referenced the price being so high compared to the echo which makes you sound cheap, and the only reason you may be getting the echo is because it’s the cheapest smart speaker on the market.

 

[npmacuser5]

Just because you’re satisfied with the performance of an echo, it doesn’t mean that other people do not want a product that will out perform the echo in every way. You referenced the price being so high compared to the echo which makes you sound cheap, and the only reason you may be getting the echo is because it’s the cheapest smart speaker on the market.

Your comment makes you sound a bit arrogant. Just because a product is less expensive does not mean it is cheap as does an expensive product always be a great one. Yes, the Echo is not a high end speaker. Thus the point of this rumor. If this rumor correct, Amazon will have products that fit nicely into more users needs. From a users perspective, a good thing.

 

[44267547]

They absolutely are.

People looking for a speaker that can play music but also respond to voice commands will look at both products. Many will choose the Echo.
Others, who decide that they also want this device to have better quality sound will choose the Apple one.

Ultimately people will weigh the features of both, including sound quality vs. price, and finally settle on one or the other.

That makes them very much competitors

True. The Echo is more of a smart speaker by itself for home automation and answering queries or responding to commands.

The Home Pod will compete similarly, but bring a much more in depth listening experience with richer sound being more music based. Apple wants to separate itself just from a being a smart speaker, they want to boast room filling sound that will blow the other smart speaker competitors sound away.

I think the price point is intended for those who truly want more than a smart speaker, they want a true Audio experience that will deliver the best possible audio experience over the other competitors. The Home Pod won't be for everyone at this Price point.

 

[MNJohn]

Both of these products can co-exist in the marketplace, because every user has a different use case.

Regarding the question of "which is easier to improve, audio quality or intelligent assistant?" As a user:

• Upgrading the speakers on the Echo requires purchasing a brand new unit.
• Upgrading Siri on HomePod will be completely transparent and happen continuously over time.

Problem is: How many years has it been since Apple has released Siri and it STILL stinks...

 

[KazKam]

the important question is: will it work as a simple AirPlay (2) speaker as well? not all music that i like is available at Apple Music

For me the important question is similar, but for Home Sharing. Will I be able to ask the HomePod to play music from my Home Shared library, and NOT Apple Music? Alas, since the ATV still won't do that, I doubt the HomePod will.

Siri needs to get local-device/local-network savvy to be of any use to me in any Apple product. Right now she's damn near useless with the internet, and completely useless without it.

 

[nutmac]

People looking for a speaker that can play music but also respond to voice commands will look at both products. Many will choose the Echo.
Others, who decide that they also want this device to have better quality sound will choose the Apple one.

Great point, but I find HomePod to be more future proof in that Apple can improve Siri and software. So at least in theory, HomePod has the potential to be both.

Of course, it has also taken Apple several years to improve Siri and the perceived gap isn't closing quickly enough.

 

[TechGuy327]

View attachment 708421

Is that the iOS 11 beta?

 

[DNichter]

Apple is producing a high end home speaker, that happens to bake in Siri. The Echo line is a bad sounding speaker that Amazon listens to you through so it can serve up ads and have you buy things from them. I really don't see them as the same thing at all. As other have said, Sonos is more direct competition. If they improve on the quality in the future, i'd think that would be great, but it will certainly come with an increased cost. In the end, it comes down to ecosystem and privacy.

 

[44267547]

Apple is producing a high end home speaker, that happens to bake in Siri. The Echo line is a bad sounding speaker that Amazon listens to you through so it can serve up ads and have you buy things from them. I really don't see them as the same thing at all. As other have said, Sonos is more direct competition. If they improve on the quality in the future, i'd think that would be great, but it will certainly come with an increased cost. In the end, it comes down to ecosystem and privacy.

I agree. I mentioned earlier The Home Pod will bring an experience the other Smart speakers won't With the quality of sound. I also think this price point is not intended for everyone. If someone wants a smart speaker with voice capabilities and doesn't care about sound, then the Echo or Voice would likely be more suited.

If somebody truly wants room filling sound that will bring a premium listening experience that no other smart speaker will, the Home Pod is it. And truthfully, at a $350.00 starting price, I have no issue paying for something that will bring results and an experience that other competitors will not.

 

[69Mustang]

Apple is producing a high end home speaker, that happens to bake in Siri. The Echo line is a bad sounding speaker that Amazon listens to you through so it can serve up ads and have you buy things from them. I really don't see them as the same thing at all. As other have said, Sonos is more direct competition. If they improve on the quality in the future, i'd think that would be great, but it will certainly come with an increased cost. In the end, it comes down to ecosystem and privacy.

This new speaker from Amazon could easily be the result of a partnership between Amazon and Sonos. That would answer the sound quality (Sonos) question and the smarts of the assistant (Alexa) question in one fell swoop. Sonos with Alexa integration has already been in private beta for some time. Slotted between the Play 3 and Play 5 @ $300 - $350 you have an immediate direct competitor on sound quality, smart assistant, and price. Win/Win for Sonos and Amazon. No longer is the decision do I want a less intelligent smart speaker with good sound or a more intelligent smart speaker with lesser sound. An Amazon/Sonos amalgam offers both. Pure speculation by me, but not unreasonable speculation.

 

[dgr874]

anyone notice that apple logo on the echo?

Ya, quite curious about that as well...

For everyone with multiple Echo Dots in the house, can you link them together and play the same song out of them like Chrome cast Audio receivers?

 

[Weaselboy]

For everyone with multiple Echo Dots in the house, can you link them together and play the same song out of them

Nope... they won't do that.

 

[Applebot1]

Funny thing is I bet Apple don't even see Amazon as competition in this segment. Amazon isn't going away any time soon..competition is healthy.

Looking forward to what Amazon come out with next. What started as just trying out an Echo Dot; now is my first choice in voice interfacing music and lights etc.

 

[CarlJ]

The thing not coming up much here is privacy and security. I trust Apple with an always-on microphone in my house more than I'd trust Amazon (and I'd trust Amazon more than Google - hey, going down that path, anybody want an always-listening home assistant speaker from Facebook? or Uber?).

 

[MrX8503]

I'll just put this here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile...e_ipod_reinvented_portable/djt73v7/?context=3

1. They're using some form of dynamic modeling, and likely also current sensing that allows them to have a p-p excursion of 20 mm in a 4" driver. This is completely unheard of in the home market. You can read an introduction to the topic here. The practical upshot is that that 4" driver can go louder than larger drivers, and with significantly less distortion. It's also stuff you typically find in speakers with five-figure price tags (The Beolab 90 does this, and I also suspect that the Kii Three does). It's a quantum leap over what a typical passive speaker does, and you don't really even find it in higher-end powered speakers
2. The speaker uses six integrated beamforming microphones to probe the room dimensions, and alter its output so it sounds its best wherever it is placed in the room. It'll know how large the room is, and where in the room it is placed.
3. The room correction applied after probing its own position isn't simplistic DSP of frequency response, as the speaker has seven drivers that are used to create a beamforming speaker array,. so they can direct specific sound in specific directions. The only other speakers that do this is the Beolab 90, and Lexicon SL-1. The Beolab 90 is $85,000/pair, and no price tag is set for the Lexicon, but the expectation in the industry is "astronomical".

I'll be buying the HomePod on launch day. Good riddance to Sonos.