Apple Receives FCC Approval for HomePod, Suggesting a Launch Could Come Soon

[lsutigerfan1976]

If you are heavy in Apple eco system and primarily use Apple Music then this will be a solid addition to keep everything Apple in your setup. Just won’t appeal to people who don’t subscribe to Apple Music.

This. Not only is the speaker over priced. But I began realizing that the Siri assistant built in will only bring up Apple stuff. Which is pointless for people like me. I can’t bring up Pandora, or Spotify. Everything basically redirects you back to Apple’s ecosystem. Which I think is a hindrance.

I know fanboys will say I don’t know what I’m talking about. And that the the HomePod is the best thing ever! But for ppl like me. I’d rather go with something which maybe features google assistant. And this way I can call up anything I want. Not just Apple centric specific apps.

 

[johngordon]

It supports any music input source

Cool - so I can fire up Apple Music on my phone and stream it to an Echo?

 

[SBG88]

It doesn't matter how good the HomePod is or isn't. They have their very own purchaser base which will make it successful for Apple concerns.

I use all Apple products except for several Echos and Dots which I like. I think Siri blows compared to Alexa and Google.

I have no use for the HomePod yet I want one for no good reason.

 

[macplay]

Another hobby...

 

[McScooby]

Amazingly, I just tap on my iPhone and say "Siri, turn on the lights" and the lights turn on. That's because I have an old phone. My wife can leave hers in her handbag, say "Hey Siri, turn on the lights" and they turn on.

Way too much effort, geo-fencing takes care of that & if internet happens to be down for any reason then HUE motion sensors kick in.

 

[Gaspode67]

I don't think Amazon or Google devices support your own personal music library. For example, I can't have either service access my NAS I use for my Sonos. You can go forward, pause, ... Simple let things, but not a particular artist or album. You must use their service for that. At least that's what I am finding.

Both Google & Amazon allow you to upload your music library up to their servers & stream live from there. I've approx 12k tracks loaded up to Google Play Music that I can stream on any PC/Mac/Phone that I log onto Google with, along with any of my Google Home & Home Minis. Amazon is the same with Echo/Echo Dots. In the case of Google Play, you can add the ability to automatically add any new iTunes addition into Google Play Music that works really well too.

With the flexibility that's now available in W10, Google, & other systems, I'm probably going to be exiting the Apple ecosystem as each device reaches its EOL after over a decade as an Apple user. I currently have 2 iMacs, a Macbook Pro (pre-touchbar), a Time Capsule, two ATVs (gen 2) and an iPod Touch. As each dies, I'm going to replace it with a Windows machine (in the case of the laptop/desktop units) or an android/generic device in the case of the TV/mp3player/NAS/streamer. Why? There's nothing that is actually tying me into the Apple eco-system anymore, at least in terms of a unique edge. Streaming music? I have that ability through Google Home/Home Mini/Phone/Chromecasts (4 rooms and on the go for a few dollars more than the cost of a single Homepod). Video? I have Plex and SmartTVs that work smoother than an AppleTV solution (including the ability where with everything turned off I can simply say "Hey Google, play The Good Place on the Living Room TV & it'll turn on all the required equipment & start streaming the latest unwatched episode, all without me having to set anything up). Home Automation? Apple are still late to the party & are offering nothing above and beyond what is available from others for less. Flexibility to user demands/ishes? Apple have always been lacking in this area, but over the last decade, they have become even more proscriptive about things. I want my phone/pc/video/audio tp work the way *i* find best, not the way that J Ive has "decided" is the best way to work. I like to choose things like live widgets on the home screen of a phone that can show the current calendar entries, or play/rewind/skip track/chapters on music/audiobooks/podcasts without having to leave the homescreen because that's what works best FOR ME. We're all individuals who work best in our own ways. Apple has made it increasingly harder over the years to work/live that way, and that is why I and others are going to leave the Apple eco-system. It'll not be a killer blow, but I think over the next 10 years, Apple will learn the hard way that folks like the ability to shape their world to suit them, rather than letting the latest tech shape the way they live to suit the technical limitations.

 

[cuencap]

The same feature set Yamaha has had (MusicCast) for a couple of years now?

Interesting. Hadn’t heard of MusicCast until now. However, it appears you need to connect to one of their speakers via Bluetooth then the speaker does the syncing across other speakers, so not the same as airplay being sent to multiple devices.

 

[dazz87]

Late to the game and on top of that cost 3x more than others......Yeah going to be a great selll.......

 

[PLondon]

My smart TV outputs sound via Bluetooth.
My Apple TV outputs sound via Bluetooth
My iPad outputs sound via Bluetooth
My Apple AirPods are Bluetooth

So - what DOESN'T appear to come with the homepods? What interface is missing that's ESSENTIAL to the ecosystem and a connected room?

No point in buying a standalone gadget that can't replace my soundbar.

That might be so but Bluetooth is an inferior compressed format that is not suitable for HiFi.
[doublepost=1516554691][/doublepost]

I think this is largely the fault of the comparatively shoddy microphones in iPhones and iPads - it’s not really fair to compare something with a 7-microphone far-field array to the speakerphone mic on your phone.

You say that, yet Google works equally well on my Pixel 2XL in a noisy car with music playing as my Google home does at home. Siri on the other hand is always useless and constantly fails simple commands such as "play discover weekly" or "set an alarm"

I don't know why Apple hasn't invested more R&D into Siri but they are a long way behind.

Also for everyone with privacy concerns, please read up on Google's privacy policy. It's up to you, the user, to review and decide how much information to share. With regards to what is "listened into" you can at any time review the full log of things "recorded" by any home device or your phone on your Gmail account page. Something you cannot do with Apple and Siri) If after reviewing the privacy policy you still believe Google are secretly listening in, I would suggest you are entering tin hat territory and should immediately cancel your internet subscription and cut up your credit cards and move into a trailer in the woods...

 

[oneMadRssn]

I want 2 homepods in 1 room for $700. It will sound better than 1 homepod.

You do you. For $700, I'd rather get a proper set of quality bookshelf speakers and a nice tube amp.

 

[Williesleg]

But does it listen more than it sings?

 

[deanthedev]

Say Apple in 2 years put a customized variant of the A11 in a speaker and does so mindbending real time transform using the audio, users, whatever collected from the room, who on earth could do that besides maybe Samsung?

This shows the difference between Apple and Samsung (or other companies).

I’ve been doing live sound reinforcement since the 80’s. This industry has been way ahead of others when it comes to new audio technologies. Think about pulling into a new venue (stadium, arena or auditorium) and only having a couple hours to fine tune your audio so it sounds good. There’s a significant amount of audio processing going on. Similarly, live sound is concerned with efficiency. Getting the most volume out of the smallest speaker or having the most efficient amplifiers. When you have racks and racks of gear, saving a bit of energy here or there starts to add up.

Samsung acquired Harmon, which includes companies that make very high end (advanced) equipment for live sound. A few include: AKG, Studer, Lexicon, JBL, Soundcraft, dbx and Crown.

This gives Samsung access to companies with a wide range of audio capabilities. So where’s their self-tuning home audio? I don’t see any advanced sound bars, home theatre systems or even desktop speaker taking advantage of these resources. Everything Samsung sells is vanilla and the same as what everybody else sells. Nothing stands out.

Further, even Harmon is guilty of this. Soundcraft has Lexicon processing integrated into their consoles/systems. They realize that bringing the digital audio processing capabilities and integrating them into your console is superior to tacking them on as an afterthought. Harmon is also one of the worlds biggest suppliers of car audio decks. Yet I don’t see their car audio systems taking advantage of or using technology from their other divisions that do digital audio processing. It’s like the engineers at one division don’t even care about those at another division. One does car audio, another live sound, so it’s like they think there’s nothing to offer each other for technology.

So you have this big conglomerate of companies with most of them just doing their own thing. What a complete waste of talent.


You don’t see Apple buying companies just so they can have more products under their umbrella. Apple still has a small range of products/services even though they’ve acquired a lot of companies over the years. Samsung, meanwhile, has literally thousands of products, including the kitchen sink. They have their fingers in everything.
[doublepost=1516557916][/doublepost]

You do you. For $700, I'd rather get a proper set of quality bookshelf speakers and a nice tube amp.

A tube amp? Can’t. Stop. Laughing.

 

[Gameboy70]

I’ve never used Alexa or Google but I agree Siri sucks. If I’m dictating a text message or requesting a search there are going to be basic words it doesn’t get right. I wish there were some way to train it like you can for mispronunciations.

Being able to spell misinterpreted words to Siri would be a major upgrade. Currently you can only train Siri for proper names in your contacts, and few users are even aware of this feature.

 

[Felix01]

I hope the HomePod doesn’t follow the iPod Hi-Fi. I bought that new piece of equipment ($350) some 12 years ago and it was discontinued one year later. This time I’m going to wait to ensure the equipment has the sales numbers to be reasonably sure it’ll survive.

 

[DotCom2]

I'm sure it's going to sound fantastic for it's size. But sound is physics, and there is only so much you can do with small speakers and limited power.

The question is this: Will the 1 HomePod sound better than 2 Sonos Play:1s? Or 1 Sonos Play:3? In both cases, you would also still have either $50 or $100 left over, respectively. Those Sonos speakers already sound really really good for their size. I doubt the HomePod will be appreciably better sounding.

So the question is - do you want to have a speaker in 1 room for $350, or a speaker in 2 rooms for $300?

This is exactly what I have been trying to say over and over. We will have to wait and see what the reviews are but Sonos has been in the speaker biz a lot longer than Apple so we shall see. 2 Sonos Play One's as stereo for less money, or 1 HomePod? Hmmmmm

 

[Gameboy70]

I'm really not digging the design of this. First time that's happened with an Apple product. A white fabric exterior like that is going to yellow and stain over time. Even with the black one, an all fabric design reminds me too much of iPod Socks.

Apple has never been concerned about whether their products age well. Consider the white iBook or the metal back of any classic iPod.

 

[DotCom2]

Apple has never been concerned about whether their products age will. Consider the white iBook or the metal back of any classic iPod.

Not to mention all glass phones!

 

[Gameboy70]

This. Not only is the speaker over priced. But I began realizing that the Siri assistant built in will only bring up Apple stuff. Which is pointless for people like me. I can’t bring up Pandora, or Spotify. Everything basically redirects you back to Apple’s ecosystem. Which I think is a hindrance.

I know fanboys will say I don’t know what I’m talking about. And that the the HomePod is the best thing ever! But for ppl like me. I’d rather go with something which maybe features google assistant. And this way I can call up anything I want. Not just Apple centric specific apps.

This is going to be controversial, but I don't even plan to use Siri most of the time. I'm buying two HomePods. The bedroom HomePod will be an upgrade for the $500 first-gen Nocs NS2 air monitors I use for my iMac and iPhone. Their Airplay pairing drops occasionally, and they don't support 5Gb 802.11AC. The living room HomePod will be used primarily as a soundbar for Apple TV. If I want to play music (mostly Spotify), I'm more inclined to use my phone to navigate to my selection than use Siri.

With AirPods, I never use Siri; I only use my iPhone or Apple Watch.

 

[EdT]

A tube amp? Can’t. Stop. Laughing.

Many audio purists believe tube amplifiers give better sound than solid state. There is engineering that backs up at least some of those claims:http://www.theaudioarchive.com/TAA_Resources_Tubes_versus_Solid_State.htm

 

[robjulo]

There are already quality products out there (Sonos) that cost less than half as much as the HomePod, and which are also compatable with many, many other services.

The only market for HomePod is Apple fanatics who are willing to overpay for less.

People will care. They don’t need to understand the complex processing going on behind the scenes - they’ll just notice the better sound.

That’s the groundbreaking part. Letting an ordinary person plunk a speaker down anywhere they have room, not having to do anything other than turn it on, and start enjoying quality sound.

[doublepost=1516566222][/doublepost]So go by two Sonos Ones. Sounds great, your whole apartment will be covered, has Apple Music built into the app (along with virtually every other music service). Problem solved. (And you’ll save yourself $50, even with buying two Sonos).

I am ready for this to drop this week. Got a Hottest 100 party planned for Saturday and I need some more apartment coverage.

 

[Dobbs2]

When I saw the little echo ball thing with a screen I was really excited and thought it would make the perfect bedside clock/alexa. Then I realized they put a camera in the ****ing thing. Either Amazon engineers are morons who actually thought people would want to video chat on that tiny screen or they are disgustingly using it to spy on people's bedrooms. I don't personally trust amazon (or any company) with that kind of access to my life.
[doublepost=1516413296][/doublepost]

The problem is the only way for Siri and homekit to really get better requires apple to collect more data on you than they are willing to. I am glad they arent willing to and accept that as a result my AI isnt as good. I hope someday I can trust companies to give me a really amazing AI without worrying they are handing everything I say and all the video of what im doing over to whatever government tells them to. Right now Apple is the only one I trust and its only because they have made it nearly impossible to know very much about me.

You can purchase a stand to change the camera angle and use it as a baby monitor. You say Alexa show what ever you name it, and then you can see how your baby is doing in the crib etc... Thats also close to the mic so you can talk to your child etc.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

People will care. They don’t need to understand the complex processing going on behind the scenes - they’ll just notice the better sound.

That’s the groundbreaking part. Letting an ordinary person plunk a speaker down anywhere they have room, not having to do anything other than turn it on, and start enjoying quality sound.

I think you believe most average users care about the highest quality of sound. Most don’t. Tech people do. Add that it doesn’t support Spotify and imo Siri is a negative feature, ill bet my bottom dollar at $350 per unit, sales will be average after the initial fanboys and audio people scoop them up.

 

[EdT]

I think you believe most average users care about the highest quality of sound. Most don’t. Tech people do. Add that it doesn’t support Spotify and imo Siri is a negative feature, ill bet my bottom dollar at $350 per unit, sales will be average after the initial fanboys and audio people scoop them up.

I don't have any audiophile and not many tech friends that are planning to buy this. From what we know right now, it won't work with or replace a surround sound system, can't be used with a stand-alone receiver/amplifier as an output source-at least not without other Apple components- and, believe it or not, it's not expensive enough. At $350.00 they don't believe the sound is going to be that much better than equipment already on the market, and they aren't impressed by those.

 

[Wide opeN]

This product is quite simply, over priced.

 

[jarman92]

I think there are different markets out there. I have three Echo dots and use them mainly to control things around the house like lighting, heating, alarms, cameras and even home theatre etc.

I have a high end Audio system for listening to music but a quick check of weather or time and setting an alarm is pretty good on the echo.

I understand they’re useful (for some) and people will buy them, but from Apple’s perspective what is the market here? Amazon is not making money on your $30 Dot purchases; they’re likely losing it. They plan to make that loss up by selling you more stuff from Amazon (and probably having Alexa bark ads at you soon), but how does that help Apple? They have no interest in selling you anything once you have their hardware. So when people say Apple is “late to market” it makes no sense.