You could honestly be describing Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft just as easily. At least Apple has cultivated a loyal customer base that cannot be matched by any of these competitors.
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.
Apple CEO Tim Cook: Hardware and Software Integration Will Set HomePod Apart From Competitors
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
With Alexa and sonos it has voice activation and still cheaper plus I can use my sonos with numerous music providers. Oh yeah, it also had multiroom sync and stereo sound for the last several years unlike HomePod at this point
From what we know so far, you can't. If you can't listen to AM/FM on your iPhone that already has it built in but not turned on, I highly doubt they'll let you. All we know at this point is that the only thing that will play audio through this speaker is Apple music. Plus if you think about it, why would they let you buy this and not tie you into essentially a monthly fee to use it?
Well you need to learn how to use your sonos then. It does play your local music files, you don't need to use Ethernet And you can add the smart assistant by buying any Amazon Echo product or soon any Google Assistant product.Let me weigh in on Sonos Play:3. I've owned it for 2 years. It has no smart assistant, it won't play my music files, it only plays streaming music. It will require plugging into an ethernet cable, I've done it twice, for some random reason, and require a new set up process. As mentioned ^ Every reviewer says it is a lesser sound quality compared to the Apple HomePod. It costs $350 so it isn't more affordable, but there are clear drawbacks for someone who already thinks spending $350 on a single speaker is 'okay'.
Sonos does have an aspirational ecosystem, meaning, I want to keep with Sonos and build a home theater setup (4 speakers plus sub). Apple doesn't have an aspirational product line, this is just an accessory. (i've posted about this aspirational ecosystem on this forum already)
I AM the target market for this HomePod.
1. I won't buy a half-baked product.
2. I'm not thrilled with first-gen Apple products, they are abandoned quickly, usurped by a much better product. (iPad vs iPad 2; Watch vs Watch series 1)
3. ^^These two factors combine to entrench my hesitance with HomePod
4. No aspirational product line.
5. The backwards-looking product ignores a world full of products and doesn't integrate with say, TV.
6. It's a personal product, it isn't good for a party with mixed devices.
7. (A friend of mine mentioned it like thisIt is music-centered with HomeKit tacked on, I want HomeKit-centered with music. Apple is holding onto the Cachet (as my friend puts it) of artists/musicians/iPod because it makes their brand relevant. (also I think they are comfortable in the old maxims created at Apple in 2001 (music/iTunes/bands/brands).
Also note that your play 3 is already stereo but can be made to be "fully stereo" by adding another one. It supports multi room today, not a promise to support it someday. It will support Airplay 2 as soon as that is available and sonos has the time to put out a firmware. You are already in the right place. Sonos can give you everything you listed now. I do not believe that you will find that the Homepod truly sounds that much better than your play 3's but if so you could move up to play 5's and fix that. Or to a connect on a traditional stereo or Home theater system or connect amp and speakers of your choice. Sonos offers over 50 music services you can stream from including Apple Music, Apple offers 1- theirs. Sonos is about choice- Your choice. Apple's system is about their choice. You are already in the right place.
[doublepost=1516807257][/doublepost]
So what you are saying is that if I can limit the things that I expect my assistant to do, then Apple can meet my needs. But I don't want to limit what I can do, so what does Apple have for me then? Here's the thing. Apple wants to be all things to all people. That is never going to work. I love my iPhone and my Apple TV, My Apple Watch and my iPad. But I don't love the Homepod or Siri. Sonos and Alexa are a better solution, that already works with my Apple products and all of the other brands of equipment that I have.
Last edited:
Sonos doesn't dynamically adjust to the shape and acoustics of the room. They require the Sonos app and walking around the room using your phone's microphone to collect acoustic samples. Since Apple built the A8 directly into HomePod, this is all accomplished automatically due to Apple's "technical capabilities".
No matter how much Apple tries to differentiate the HomePod, it will still be seen by the industry as a late product with low market share percentage and a price tag that is too high. Siri already has the reputation of being a voice assistant that's not very smart and it will be nearly impossible for Apple to change that opinion. With all the money Apple has on hand to spend on R&D, Siri never advanced as far as it should have. Apple must not have seen Siri as an important service as the rest of the computer industry did. I certainly don't understand the fascination of voice assistants as I've had a Fire TV with Alexa remote and rarely, if ever, used Alexa. For some odd reason, Wall Street loves those voice assistants and believes the market is totally unlimited in terms of growth. What's so special about eavesdropping devices? I certainly don't want them all over my house. It seems as though both Amazon and Google were practically giving Echo Dots and Google Minis away over the holiday season at below cost. What's so great about that business model except in terms of dominating market share percentage?
The digital voice assistant market belongs to Amazon at this point. Jeff Bezos doesn't mind taking profit losses as long as he can dominate any market. Amazon will be unbeatable with that strategy. Consumers seem to be quite happy buying cheap junk and if that's what they want, then Amazon can give it to them. I'll take a pass on owning a single-purpose voice assistant. I simply don't need it.
The digital voice assistant market belongs to Amazon at this point. Jeff Bezos doesn't mind taking profit losses as long as he can dominate any market. Amazon will be unbeatable with that strategy. Consumers seem to be quite happy buying cheap junk and if that's what they want, then Amazon can give it to them. I'll take a pass on owning a single-purpose voice assistant. I simply don't need it.
All voice assistants are very limited right now. It sounds like you won't be happy with any of them if you expect no limitations.
So what. Sonos isn’t for sale. Means nothing what Apple could buy. Just more noise to deflect that Apple can’t release something on time other than a phone.
You clearly don’t know how to use your Sonos.
Let me weigh in on Sonos Play:3. I've owned it for 2 years. It has no smart assistant, it won't play my music files, it only plays streaming music. It will require plugging into an ethernet cable, I've done it twice, for some random reason, and require a new set up process. As mentioned ^ Every reviewer says it is a lesser sound quality compared to the Apple HomePod. It costs $350 so it isn't more affordable, but there are clear drawbacks for someone who already thinks spending $350 on a single speaker is 'okay'.
Sonos does have an aspirational ecosystem, meaning, I want to keep with Sonos and build a home theater setup (4 speakers plus sub). Apple doesn't have an aspirational product line, this is just an accessory. (i've posted about this aspirational ecosystem on this forum already)
I AM the target market for this HomePod.
1. I won't buy a half-baked product.
2. I'm not thrilled with first-gen Apple products, they are abandoned quickly, usurped by a much better product. (iPad vs iPad 2; Watch vs Watch series 1)
3. ^^These two factors combine to entrench my hesitance with HomePod
4. No aspirational product line.
5. The backwards-looking product ignores a world full of products and doesn't integrate with say, TV.
6. It's a personal product, it isn't good for a party with mixed devices.
7. (A friend of mine mentioned it like this
AirPods are the opposite of HomePod. AirPods are solely good based on everything except sound. They sound okay, but there are a bunch of earbuds (wireless and otherwise) with better sound.
I just don't foresee Apple going into the wireless surround sound business, which is Sonos' bigger selling point. A Sonos 5.1 is expensive, but the multiroom capabilities and the expandability really make for a great user experience.
I'm not one of those that are hyper-sensitive to privacy issues... but there's a difference between taking reasonable precautions and inviting spying technology into one's home. The primary purpose of these smart speakers is to "spy" on you... always on, listening for the activation phrase.
LOL. That's a heck of cult following Apple has given is the biggest public company, by market cap, in the world and has hundreds of millions of devices in use around the world at any given moment.
I'd say Apple is a bit beyond being described as a "cult" no matter what you think of its products. Sure, some of it's products are niche, but the major ones certainly are not.
I'm sure this will be an amazing speaker and I may buy one, yet with the current consumer expectations set by Amazon and Google, I do not have hope for this to work with Siri. Siri is okay at best, and frustrating at most. I get they want to set this new speaker apart from the competitors, but if they want to compete, they need to make it work outside of the Apple ecosystem. Amazing played it at CES with Alexa Everywhere, the same strategy that worked brilliantly for the Kindle reader. If Apple is to success with anything close to what competitors offer, they need to step up their Siri AI game by a huge margin.
Poorly. You can not truly adjust for the rooms acoustics from one spot in the room. That is why every other acoustic adjustment program requires you to move the mic around the room. A8 or not.
[doublepost=1516808909][/doublepost]
I am super happy with my 4 echos and all of the thousands (and growing every day) skills that extend them to do anything that I want. What I do not want is for everything I want to do or want to own to have to be blessed by Apple.
Wow, I didn't think about that. That does seem like quite a hardship. The reach to the pocket is bad enough, then having to read it and type a reply... ughh.
Seriously, that's your example of hardship?
Of course, it's hardship every time we old folks have to type on that tiny keyboard.
And if you get stuck in a board meeting, you definitely don't want to pull out that phone and draw attention to yourself.
I don't get this concept. Why build a 360 degree speaker and also talk about stereo. It defeats the purpose of 360 degree. Also, where these two speakers be placed? By look of it it looks likes it needs to be on coffee table or dining table. But in stereo mode, the speakers needs to move near the wall or similar. That means many of the speakers in the areas will be turned off after stero calibration. To me it seems like, Apple has not thought well about it. They just keep throwing in whatever options the competitors are putting out.
As others have stated. Too limited on features for the price. Limited to the Walled Garden. Customers can use their W1 equipped Beats on any BT Device. Too little too late. Another dud.
But I'm SO glad they didn't. Don't need apple mucking things up!
[doublepost=1516809981][/doublepost]Sorry, Tim. We don't blanket believe everything you say in your press releases anymore.
Next.
Agreed. As I have stated many times. IMO, 2018 will be a defining year for Apple. If they can keep up the growth with their current ship without a rudder outlook for 5 years down the road there is hope. If not the BOD needs to makes changes in the executive team.