Interesting. How is it listening to "Hey Siri" if it's not listening to everything you say?
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Apple Drops HomePod Price to $299, Down From $349
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Interesting. How is it listening to "Hey Siri" if it's not listening to everything you say?
I guess I didn’t word that quite right. It is not sending everything you say to apple. Yes the hardware it self is always listing for the key word, then it sends it to Apple. Other devices claim the same thing but I just don’t trust them.
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I noticed that too. They just forgot about the exchange rate and only dropped it $50 . Should have been more like a $66 dollar drop.
No, 533 (Canadian) bucks to you means the same as 400 (US) bucks does to me. Exchange rates are not just a technicality
I mean, yeah it’s CAD$399 but if your Apple store asked you to pay USD$399 you would not be happy.
Similarly, wouldn’t it be nice if you could pay the $299 price from the US Apple Store with 299 Canadian dollars?
CAD$399=USD$299
I guess it depends what you are looking for. If you want a smart speaker first which can occasionally play music the echo is a better shot. You can also connect the echo to a more powerful speaker.
I have a use for them all so I have 2 HomePods, 3 echos and 2 google home minis.
Yeah buddy, no **** — nobody is doubting the HomePod’s audio quality
The HomePod’s main problem is lack of usefulness
- Siri isn’t a good assistant
- Easily playing songs is limited to Apple Music
- It doesn’t work as a Bluetooth speaker and it has no 3.5mm input
Or, they could just keep the same price, add a jack & allow any audio to be bluetoothed to it, I don't think the price is the main issue.
Being unable to use it as a standard wired Speaker for my Computer or plugged to the TV was a total turn-off and deal breaker.
I agree, my TV could really use a boost — damn shame
I value privacy, but to me privacy is not how much i use my heater.... to each his /her own I guess.
If I am home or not would also be known by Philips (trough HUE) or any other smart house manufacturer (yes even trough HomeKit) so really do not see the difference.
I value privacy, but we have a different view of privacy I guess.
Medical records and sensible info are what I care about, not silly thing like my thermostat, so they know I use 19 degree at home, big whoop, I could tell you that, what I do not want them to know is my health info or any other sensible information, wich Google is not getting from me (or any other vendor) anyway.
Again my thermostat or light? Are not "secret" informations.
P.S.
Google does not know when I am at home, i can change thermostat infor and lights even when outside, may be they know if my phone is home or not, but my carrier does as well with the 3g / 4g cell.....wait a minute...SUE THE CELL COMPANY!!!!
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Well it's definitely not a success and once and for all this price drop confirms it. We know very well that Apple only drops prices when they absolutely have to.
been happy with my homepod.
got a second one recently. they're good in the kitchen for things like unit conversions, etc. when you have your hands full or covered in cooking ingredients, etc.
sound quality is also great.
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It doesn't "rely on siri" you can simply use it as an airplay target.
got a second one recently. they're good in the kitchen for things like unit conversions, etc. when you have your hands full or covered in cooking ingredients, etc.
sound quality is also great.
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It doesn't "rely on siri" you can simply use it as an airplay target.
I'm really happy with my HomePod pair I have in the living room. Really great sound that fills the whole room with very decent high, middle with strong bass. Just don't compare it with the Amazon spy machines that happens to also play music poorly. The price is very good if you see it as a nice speaker which integrates with the Apple ecosystem really well. With this price drop I may buy one more for my bedroom.
You know if you "stop" people's posts before they explain why they disagree and why you're wrong I guess anything you go on to say is right because you just choose to ignore what the post was saying.
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To hear the words “Hey Siri” they have to listen to everything or how would they know you said “Hey Siri”?
I guess it depends on what equipment you’ve got. I can connect my airpods to my Apple TV and my MacBook.
The only other speaker that I thought sounded decent was the Google Max in comparison. Although the HomePod seems looks more aesthetic and blends in nicely with in a living room setting. For $300.00, this speaker delivers. Someone asked me earlier if I would have changed my mind purchasing the HomePod for $350 versus $300 , and my response was I would’ve easily Purchased the HomePod again even if it wasn't discounted at $300, because I think it delivers in every aspect that I could ask for. Really underrated product from Apple that needs more marketing from my standpoint.
299$ is still expensive yet still another (small) step towards the right direction. Keep up with no new purchases people!
Custom commands with workflow? That sounds interesting! Like what?
Well, anything you create with Workflow can have a Siri shortcut added. one example is I have a workflow that
Checks for my next bus to train station ( Apple Transit )
Checks for the next train to London ( Apple Transit )
Lines up a playlist ( Apple Music )
Shows me the weather (Dark Skies )
Turns off all the lights in the house ( Home / Hue )
And it's all triggered by me saying "Hey Siri, Worktime"
Apps can have shortcuts too - you can have PayPal shortcuts for example and they are added within PayPal.
Takes a little bit to get used to - but works great.
https://www.macworld.com/article/3309404/the-best-shortcuts-for-iphone.html
https://www.imore.com/siri-shortcuts-faq
I think it all depends on a persons preference and opinion. The Echo and Google’s equivalent are hugely popular compared to Apples version because they are competitively priced and people can buy more than one device for the same price that Apple charge. For audiophiles I’m sure the difference is clear but for general use around the home I think the cheaper alternatives and the service they offer are more attractive personally, especially as you can now get Apple Music on the Echo as well as Amazon Prime music.
I am so happy you spent the time to write this informative and useful post. You clearly have spent a lot of time thinking about this and you should, in fact, be paid for your opinions as they are so worthy of praise and insightful.
I have been saying for weeks now that Apple needed to cut the price by $50, so very happy they did. HomePod’s sound is freakin incredible and I have had mine since launch; it’s a fantastic HomeKit hub.
HOWEVER, it packs a beefy A10 that seems wasted with Siri being frustratingly bad. Hopefully there’s a major Siri upgrade to follow the price cut this year.
HOWEVER, it packs a beefy A10 that seems wasted with Siri being frustratingly bad. Hopefully there’s a major Siri upgrade to follow the price cut this year.
This is another issue, for a company that always said their device should be "transparent" there's just too uch work to make them "work".
I have to get used to using a device? Shouldn't it adapt to my need?
Thank you so much, I appreciate your lengthy reply to my post, you’re welcome for my opinions I’m glad that they helped you.