1. Has to be plugged in
2. No third party apps shuch as spotify and audible.
3. Siri
4. Priced way over the competition
2. No third party apps shuch as spotify and audible.
3. Siri
4. Priced way over the competition
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Apple Cuts HomePod Orders After Sales Prove to Be Lackluster
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Like many people said here.
It's the price stupid!
I would like one but not at $350. $200 would be perfect, maybe I could swing $250 but adding sales tax hurts a bit. So $200 would make this a massive hit IMO.
Also keep in mind to really use this product well you would have to get an Apple Music subscription so in the end it's just too much. Apple should have made this very cheap to push AM sales.
It's the price stupid!
I would like one but not at $350. $200 would be perfect, maybe I could swing $250 but adding sales tax hurts a bit. So $200 would make this a massive hit IMO.
Also keep in mind to really use this product well you would have to get an Apple Music subscription so in the end it's just too much. Apple should have made this very cheap to push AM sales.
I don't care about the price...HomePod is a flop because Siri is lame. The sound quality is great, but it is simply not as functional a device overall as Amazon Echo.
I don't know what would have happened but I would have like to have watched him try.
Better than watching Cook repackage the same old ideas while counting his money.
It's just boring, you know?
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/06/oldest-major-apple-products-still-sold-today/
I imagine Apple themselves are still pretty well out of these even with low sales.
I bought one based on some early (hype?) reviews. I knew Siri wasn’t going to be great but was happy with a direct stream/AirPlay device. I was pretty underwhelmed by the sound and returned it unfortunately.
I’d have kept it at half the price but didn’t feel it was worth the premium over the competition. It’s a tricky market as audiophile music reproduction is better served by traditional hifi (with tonnes of options/pricepoints/etc) that can smartified by dots/minis/chromecast etc. The mass market that the HomePod is going for, good enough for living room, parties and multi room is better served by the rather good mid range products by google/amazon/sonos etc.
I don’t think the HomePod is worth the premium sonically over the others (and obviously lacks in other features). It’s in my “good enough” bracket and simply seems overpriced compared to the competition. I think the only thing that’s remotely audiophile about the HomePod is the “diminishing returns”
I’d like to try again but only once the price and physical size are revisited.
I bought one based on some early (hype?) reviews. I knew Siri wasn’t going to be great but was happy with a direct stream/AirPlay device. I was pretty underwhelmed by the sound and returned it unfortunately.
I’d have kept it at half the price but didn’t feel it was worth the premium over the competition. It’s a tricky market as audiophile music reproduction is better served by traditional hifi (with tonnes of options/pricepoints/etc) that can smartified by dots/minis/chromecast etc. The mass market that the HomePod is going for, good enough for living room, parties and multi room is better served by the rather good mid range products by google/amazon/sonos etc.
I don’t think the HomePod is worth the premium sonically over the others (and obviously lacks in other features). It’s in my “good enough” bracket and simply seems overpriced compared to the competition. I think the only thing that’s remotely audiophile about the HomePod is the “diminishing returns”
I’d like to try again but only once the price and physical size are revisited.
I think the sales are lacklustre and returns are high because the sound isn't as good as it was made out to be by Apples over hyped launch. The sound is ok but nothing special, certainly not £319 worth.
I returned my first HP because of the over powering bass. I think Apple got carried away with this because they found a way of getting a lot of bass out of a small product, and tried to show it off by giving it too much bass.
Then there was an update 11.3 and Apple reduced the bass, so i bought another one to try and it is much better now, a much more balanced sound, but still nothing special. My second one is still in the 14 day return period and i am contemplating returning it because even with the improved sound it still isn't worth the money.
I may keep it yet i am not sure, i am hoping there is another software release and Apple give us some presets or equaliser settings so we can tweak the sound. The one sound they have now isn't going to suit everyone because people have different tastes so we need to be able to change it.
Obviously there are other improvements needed that have been mentioned in this thread, like improving Siri and it needs more functionality, but they can come with software updates over time, but we need to get the sound quality sorted first.
I returned my first HP because of the over powering bass. I think Apple got carried away with this because they found a way of getting a lot of bass out of a small product, and tried to show it off by giving it too much bass.
Then there was an update 11.3 and Apple reduced the bass, so i bought another one to try and it is much better now, a much more balanced sound, but still nothing special. My second one is still in the 14 day return period and i am contemplating returning it because even with the improved sound it still isn't worth the money.
I may keep it yet i am not sure, i am hoping there is another software release and Apple give us some presets or equaliser settings so we can tweak the sound. The one sound they have now isn't going to suit everyone because people have different tastes so we need to be able to change it.
Obviously there are other improvements needed that have been mentioned in this thread, like improving Siri and it needs more functionality, but they can come with software updates over time, but we need to get the sound quality sorted first.
I probably will buy one at some point, I love the sound quality and that would normally want me to throw away an Amazon Echo, but there is just one deal breaker.
I have two gadgets that won't work with HomeKit, and will require buying a bridge device. Whereas they have native Alexa or Google Home support. That is also an area that Apple shot themselves in the foot in, years ago.
You do know if you have “Hey Siri “ enabled on your phone it’s always listening too right?
It was a shoddy release. The 11.3 update improved sound, the mids are significantly better, with an overall balanced sound ... but, that should have been the sound from the door. Seemingly many people returned their HomePods due to the lack of mids, and although some will have re-bought it after the update, I doubt all that returned it will. Though many dislike the lessened bass, I'm pretty sure they would have liked the bass had that been the signature from the door. It's only due to the fact that they had more bass prior, and can contrast it, that they see it's lacking.
If that was the sound from the door, more people would have kept theirs.
That coupled with the missing features, Siri incapability; it seems Apple was really playing this by ear (albeit with 7 microphones). However, like the analysts, I expect things to get much better as it evolves. But if Apple drops the price, I will slightly be annoyed. They should keep the price, and just release the cheaper version.
If that was the sound from the door, more people would have kept theirs.
That coupled with the missing features, Siri incapability; it seems Apple was really playing this by ear (albeit with 7 microphones). However, like the analysts, I expect things to get much better as it evolves. But if Apple drops the price, I will slightly be annoyed. They should keep the price, and just release the cheaper version.
Asking people to not be hypocrites especially when it comes to Apple is a lot to ask around here.
Everyone complaining about price has no idea the sound blows away the completion aside from the Google Home Max, which is .....wait for it.......399.
Every single product apple comes out with there are loads of people complaining about price. iPod ....too expensive (changes music industry), iPhone....599 for a phone? (Changes the entire smart phone industry and is way more expensive now in comparison), Apple Watch , iPad, Mac, AirPods. They all went on to either dominate or be a very strong market competitor. HomePod will be no different. NEWS FLASH: if people want cheap, Apple has never been the place to go.
Some people spend close to 350 a month on Starbucks. But that’s ok.
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I love mine and I think it sounds great. My home stereo speakers are about $500 each for reference. However, I think the sticker price is the shocker for the average user. Bring into into focus at $199 and then it’s a crusher. The debut software features are lacking, but I’m ok with that for now, as long as improvements start appearing.
I am happy with my purchase, but, I am waiting for and anticipating additional features. I envision a number of improvements to be made, just like the Watch experienced. I am, however, somewhat disappointed that they didn't have more to offer with the rollout....
They can cover a lot if they take the cork out of their butt and give people more options in the coming software updates. The lack of Bluetooth was a very shortsighted move though.
I'd rather pay $1000 for those speakers than $400 for this as is.
I returned mine. Sound quality is the most important aspect to me, and the Homepod is just ok: a number of reviews said that the Homepod sounds amazing, but it sounds only marginally better than my $200 Marshall Kilburn Bluetooth speaker. I tried the Homepod in a variety of rooms, and I used it for the full return period. I really didn't expect any kind of a soundstage until I read some reviews that said that the soundstage is terrific, but I don't hear it: no matter what room or location it's in, all instruments and vocals are easily localized in that cylinder. I experienced no Wow factor from the sound. Siri control was inconsistent, at best, and I found using AirPlay to control playback to be more frustrating than Bluetooth. I'm glad that others love theirs: if you love what you're hearing, I'm happy for you. I'm going to wait and see for the next generation.
Apple should launch the HomePod in more countries. I'm very satisfied with it, but I had to import it from UK (I live elsewhere in Europe). What's holding Apple back from a wider release?
I bought it for music & HomeKit. Siri's languages are currently limited with HomePod, but that's not a problem (I'm fluent in English). And I don't mind hands on operation or using Apple Watch / iPhone for music control.
Just put it for sale at the Apple online store worldwide!
I bought it for music & HomeKit. Siri's languages are currently limited with HomePod, but that's not a problem (I'm fluent in English). And I don't mind hands on operation or using Apple Watch / iPhone for music control.
Just put it for sale at the Apple online store worldwide!
I think all the early reviews were just people so happy to be invited to the launch that they were just repeating what Apple were telling them at the launch, because they didn't want to upset Apple in case they didn't get an invite to the next launch. Then the fanboys caught on and all of a sudden everyone thinks the HP has amazing sound quality and is equivalent to £2000 speaker sets up.
I am an Apple fanboy, but the sound is nothing special, it is quite good for its size, but that is about it. It is not going to wow anyone unless they are just used to cheapo average speakers.
Not only that, but you have no way of knowing whether the lower orders of HomePod parts is matched with higher orders of parts elsewhere.
Not to mention that slice relies on analysing receipts voluntarily submitted by users, so it’s already inaccurate there and then.
In short, there is insufficient data here, outlets still want to spin this as evidence that the HomePod is failing, and the haters are falling over themselves bashing Apple over this. Suddenly, everyone is an expert on why the HomePod failed.
Seems they have learnt nothing from Apple’s recent string of product successes (Apple Watch, Airpods, even Apple Music).
I said it before and I will say it again - one bets against Apple to their own detriment.
Of course. It’s a new product on Tim Cook’s watch. It’s bound to be a marginal product.
Quick let’s give him another $100M in options. Can’t let vision like this get away.
Get out there Tim and promote more diversity and immigration and greenness. You’ve toiled long enough over the successful new products.
Quick let’s give him another $100M in options. Can’t let vision like this get away.
Get out there Tim and promote more diversity and immigration and greenness. You’ve toiled long enough over the successful new products.
I agree that the Sonos speakers are a steal by comparison. Most importantly for me, they work with multiple music services (without the Airplay kludge).
I would ask, with all respect, that you please think twice about using "retarded" to mean stupid.
Talk about looking through rose tinted specs by picking the big headline number. The reality is that it’s 4%. For a company like Apple grabbing just 10% on a product launch is crap.
Three weeks after the launch, weekly HomePod sales slipped to about 4 percent of the smart speaker category on average, the market research firm says.