I keep Siri in a pretty small box, conceptually, and that helps keep me from swearing at it too much. I just I stick with easy stuff like "add orange juice to the grocery list" or "what's the weather forecast today" or "play WNYC FM radio". Anything much more than that and it does something stupid and my blood starts to boil.
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Apple Reintroduced the HomePod a Year Ago Today
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The sound is just horrible for audiophiles like me. I need clear treble, bass, and mids that I can separate.
It doesn't really impact the performance of anything in the real world so wouldn't bother me.
Ohhh the Time Capsule, I forgot about those! Fingers crossed it continues to work into the future, ultimately it's just a disk so hopefully they don't forcibly deprecate it.
I moved to a new hour a few months back, and in the process ran across a couple AirPort base stations and an AirPort Express. Fingers crossed along with you!
I had a v1 but sold it for a stereo pair of v2s. Very subtle difference for sound quality but always worried about reliability on the V1 for getting bricked. I think I could have gone with a soundbar instead but I like having the flexible placement closer to the kitchen. It lets me not blast the sound from the living room TV just so we can barely hear it in the kitchen while I cook.
My only gripe is the Apple TV integration for getting both the TV speakers and HomePods to play at the same time. It's a multiple step process when using the Apple TV and not possible when using ARC.
My only gripe is the Apple TV integration for getting both the TV speakers and HomePods to play at the same time. It's a multiple step process when using the Apple TV and not possible when using ARC.
Same here. I have five OG HomePods (one stereo pair and 3 singles) and two Minis. All are superb. Firmware updates have always been fast and smooth. Siri never lets me down.
Listening to music on them everyday they're up there with respect to being my favorite Apple products.
I wish they'd make a model with a USB-C port for connecting an SSD.
Then it could very efficiently become a time capsule/home server.
It could download playlists and your streaming queue whilst you're at work and the network is faster and cache your iCloud uploads for later on.
Extra devices could create a RAID system and act as one storage facility and a mesh system.
And if the network is compormised they can isolate themselves to the data onboard is useless.
Then it could very efficiently become a time capsule/home server.
It could download playlists and your streaming queue whilst you're at work and the network is faster and cache your iCloud uploads for later on.
Extra devices could create a RAID system and act as one storage facility and a mesh system.
And if the network is compormised they can isolate themselves to the data onboard is useless.
No, it’s only AirPlay or streaming on its own. The bluetooth listed in the specs is for other stuff.
Yeah I’m sticking with my version one new one doesn’t sound good waste of time neither does it recognize voice at a distance
I have a pair of original HomePods, 2 pairs of minis and just picked up a pair of the new HomePods. Sorry haters - they are outstanding. Sound way better than the cheaper Sonos speakers (Of course the way more expensive Sonos, do sound a little bit better, but not much IMHO)
As an interesting aside, my originals were impacted by the bad beta build and one was having trouble. Put it in closet for a few weeks and it started working again. I have nothing to base this on, but I think it was some kind of power and/or wifi issue. I have since upgraded them to version 17.2 which seems to address the wifi issue (would occasionally stop seeing wifi and needed to be unplugged for a period (I honestly suspected someone trying to hack them - don't know if that is even possible). Also, it only happened on a google wifi network (compatibility issue - I have my suspicions, but maybe that is a conspiracy theory at best). Just upgraded the minis and new HomePods to 17.3. which is beta, seems very stable, I hope it is released for original HomePods soon
As an interesting aside, my originals were impacted by the bad beta build and one was having trouble. Put it in closet for a few weeks and it started working again. I have nothing to base this on, but I think it was some kind of power and/or wifi issue. I have since upgraded them to version 17.2 which seems to address the wifi issue (would occasionally stop seeing wifi and needed to be unplugged for a period (I honestly suspected someone trying to hack them - don't know if that is even possible). Also, it only happened on a google wifi network (compatibility issue - I have my suspicions, but maybe that is a conspiracy theory at best). Just upgraded the minis and new HomePods to 17.3. which is beta, seems very stable, I hope it is released for original HomePods soon
LOL, not believing this for a minute. My new HomePods sound great (what does "doesn't sound good" even mean?). I do suppose that different people have different opinions on sound, but judging how speakers sound by personal choice is so subjective as to be meaningless. So my saying they sound great and your saying they don't sound good is just opinion after all. I have no problem issuing commands on any of my HomePods. I love the new command "Siri" instead of "hey Siri". I read someone complaining it wasn't working, but you need to turn it on , and toggle the HomePod pair as well.
I still question why the designers put the power supply inside the HomePod (and also Mac mini, and Mac Studio). Makes so much more sense to keep Power Supply heat away from the electronics - they would be so much lighter too. That is what they did with HomePod mini, so it is not a far fetched idea
Hours of calls? They haven’t been perfect for me but all you can really do to fix them is to unpair and reset the software, then pair it again. it’s basically just an appliance. It’s even more basic than an AppleTV.
There’s an error for the chip in the HomePod. The A8 was released in 2014 with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Apple relaunched the HomePod one year ago today, debuting a second-generation model almost five years after the original model's introduction.
The HomePod was announced at WWDC in 2017 and launched in 2018 after a heavily delayed launch. The device was met with mixed reviews; critics praised its outstanding sound quality but pointed out its high price, missing features, and limited functionality compared to rivals.
Apple dropped its price from $349 to $299 in April 2019 and, in March 2021, the company announced that it was discontinuing the first-generation HomePod, instead shifting its focus to the HomePod mini, which launched the previous year. The decision left a gap in Apple's product lineup for a full-sized smart speaker until the company introduced the second-generation model via a press release on January 18, 2023.
The second-generation HomePod looks virtually identical to the original, although it is 0.2 inches shorter and has a larger edge-to-edge LED touchscreen on top. It also boasts a range of upgrades and changes compared to its 2018 predecessor:
HomePod (second-generation, 2023) HomePod (first-generation, 2018) Refined design with acoustically transparent mesh fabric Design with acoustically transparent mesh fabric Larger backlit touch surface that illuminates from edge to edge Backlit touch surface S7 chip from 2021's Apple Watch Series 7 A8 chip from 2013's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus U1 ultra wideband chip – Five horn-loaded tweeters Seven horn-loaded tweeters Four far-field beamforming microphones Six far-field beamforming microphones 6.6 inches tall 6.8 inches tall Weighs 5.16 pounds Weighs 5.5 pounds Removable power cable Fixed power cable Wi-Fi 4 connectivity (802.11n) Wi-Fi 5 connectivity (802.11ac) Thread support Temperature and humidity sensor Sound Recognition Available in White and Midnight Available in White and Space Gray
While Apple's potential plans for a third-generation HomePod are unclear a year after the current model was introduced, there are a multitude of rumors surrounding a HomePod with an LCD touchscreen display arriving as soon as 2024.
Article Link: Apple Reintroduced the HomePod a Year Ago Today
It is a strange celebration indeed. I also love my Minis. Put them behind the couch when I am using new HomePods on AppleTV with with DolbyAtmos. they add a depth to sound. I would love to see a rear Chanel effect, but don't see that coming anytime soon. I also wonder about the minis. They used to support Dolby Atmos (or so they said, some reviewers said no, but they did sound different playing Spatial Audio, and now that feature is no more - maybe gen 2). What I like most, if you put them in the same room as a HomePod and play same music, the tonal quality (sans bass) is almost identical - not bad for a small speaker.