Apple Releases 14.3 Software for HomePod and HomePod Mini

[Sodner]

Finally "Hand off" working from my iPhone 12 Pro working to both my Mini HomePods. Been a 1 in 10 chance of it working up till 14.3.

 

[Arran]

Last word lost you your credibility. Good luck.

No I don't think wallaby's point lost any credibility. It's a good point. The inconsistency is jarring, and is not what I expect from Apple.

But, anyway, in good news... in 14.3 Siri has stopped saying "the kitchen lights is on". Hallelujah!

 

[B/D]

I am impressed of how Apple is going more a more towards a "reference like" sound signature with their adaptative EQ and computational audio technology in their audio products. When released, although reasonably balanced for a consumer audio product, the Homepods were leaning towards the beats signature. That have been slowly changing over the course of the last couple of years, and with the release of 14.3 software for the Homepods, the journey seems almost complete.

Now, the sound more neutral, spacious and balanced, the bass is moche more refined and controlled, and the overall sound signature seems surpringsly close to the Harman Curve (within the Homepods capabilities). Seems to me that, more of less, they have tried to apply the sound signature of the new airpods Max (extremely good, neutral) to the Homepods.

Also soundstage and dialogue clarity seems improved when watching movies with an Apple TV 4K. Tested Hellboy (2019), the battle with the tree giants in open field, and is very impressive, much better than before.

 

[theviewer19855]

They fixed Siri sounding like a idiot. The light are on. Now it’s the lights are on. Seemed like a monumental lift.

Yes! It's quite embarrassing when your smart hub sounds mentally retarded. "The light are off" was so stupid, and always rung out to me over the last weeks.

Also, a bit more nuance to us, but we have a room called "coop" (as in a bird coop). Siri randomly has decided to call it "co-operative". She used to say coop. But now if I say "turn off the coop lights" she will reply "the co-operative lights are off"

 

[theviewer19855]

That's nice, but I can't imagine ever using that feature. Even if the opportunity arose which is incredibly unlikely, the chances that I will remember that this feature exists in that moment are nil.

Seriously?

I find it surprising enough that you don't use that feature already, but to be so dead set against it to even imagine a scenario where you might want to use it seems odd.

For me, sitting in my office on the phone, id usually have my phone on speaker while i continue working. In that instance, i will now always transfer the call to my office homepod so to have better speaker / mic quality.

While cooking, for similar reasons, ill transfer the call to my kitchen homepod.

Those two reasons are enough for me to use that feature at least once a day.

 

[theviewer19855]

Getting sick of this AirPlay bug that's been around the last several releases. Playing music from my iPhone to HomePods immediately transfers the playback source from my iPhone to Apple Music streaming to the HomePods (i.e. taking iPhone out of the picture).

The effect is that my smart playlists don't update, since the "last played" date does not get updated in this scenario. I also lose ability to control volume etc. from my Watch, unless I fiddle around to make the Watch control HomePods. My workaround is to trick the HomePods by AirPlaying YouTube from my iPhone (or some other audio source) first, then change to Music to keep the playback source as my iPhone. First-world problem, I know, but disappointing that Apple can't get this right ...

Hold on i am confused by this. I have MAJOR frustrations with airplay / homepod - but they seem to contradict you. When i airplay from my iPhone to my speakers, the source stays on my phone. I wanted to figure out ways around that for a couple reasons...

The iPhone being the source drains the battery.

It also gets in the way sometimes, can't recall how exactly right now, but just day to day use of the phone I've been annoyed by it being the source multiple times - like using the iPhone for something else can sometimes stop the music, or override the music... adjusting the volume on the phone if watching a video can adjust the speakers. Just lots of minor frustrations like that.

So sometimes, i open airplay, click "control other devices" - select one of the homepods and then play music so the speaker becomes the source. That has its own list of frustrations too. But i just find it strange that we both have totally different and opposing bugs.

 

[theviewer19855]

Does anyone else have constant airplay frustrations - frustrations that are not consistent at all so are impossible to explain clearly.

Standout issues are sometimes when i open my airplay options, the speakers arent there.. sometimes none, sometimes some.

Sometimes when i click a speaker it'll load for a minute then say "cannot communicate" and then that speaker will vanish. Then re-appear several minutes later and work flawlessly.

Sometimes during music playback, one or two of the speakers will stop - while the rest continue.

Sometimes, the music will be glitchy AF. Buffer sounds, similar to in the day of Dial up internet (we have 300MBs internet)

Then the UI of airplay since the iOS14 adds in all its own extra frustrations. Like i can click a speaker watch it load... and then stop loading. The music is playing on the speaker so it obviously worked, but the validating "tick" doesn't show on the phone and more importantly, the little volume under the device doesn't show. It does have the tiny moving EQ icon next to it though. I have to exit the airplay screen and go back to it to control the little volumes.

Urgh.. makes my heart rate go up even explaining all this.

 

[Lemon Olive]

Seriously?

I find it surprising enough that you don't use that feature already, but to be so dead set against it to even imagine a scenario where you might want to use it seems odd.

For me, sitting in my office on the phone, id usually have my phone on speaker while i continue working. In that instance, i will now always transfer the call to my office homepod so to have better speaker / mic quality.

While cooking, for similar reasons, ill transfer the call to my kitchen homepod.

Those two reasons are enough for me to use that feature at least once a day.

Because that's not a typical use case. If I'm starting the audio from my phone manually, I'm most likely listening to it with AirPods. If I'm not, then its because I'm going to AirPlay it to 1 or more AirPlay 2 speakers that are around, Home Pod included. I do this to maintain control over the music. I can easily change the volume right from the digital crown on my watch.

Other times, the audio will be started via Siri on the HomePod itself.

This scenario of I start playing something on my phone and want to get it "off" my phone but keep it going on a speaker...its basically incomprehensible. And even if it did occur, there are so many ways of doing that (like just tapping the AirPlay icon and selecting the HomePod) that walking over to it and holding my phone near it is the last thing I would think to do, or even want to do.

 

[jazz1]

Any chance 11.1 and iOS 14.3 will now support two HomePod Mini's, in stereo, with my M1 MacMini as the source. I understand this was not possible. I've got two HomePods ordered. If not I'll cancel one.