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Apple Releases New Firmware for HomePod Ahead of December Launch
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No, Apple has already gone on record in October stating they have no more keynotes this year.
More assistants definitely is not a case of better; just more.
Despite the media hyping them up, they all suck for all but the most basic requests which Siri handles just fine. There’s a reason why Amazon Echo is known as the world’s most expensive alarm clock.
If you’re looking for a reason to buy HomePod over Sonos Play 1, here are a few:
Early reviews have said HomePod sounded better than Sonos play 3 which is $300.
HomePod produces 360 degrees of great sound.
AirPlay 2 will allow you to mix and match HomePod with other AirPlay 2 compatible speakers. Sonos have stated they will support AirPlay 2 early next year.
If you’re already in Apple’s ecosystem, you want to use the same assistant. You can tell it to add songs to your playlist, like/dislike songs, and imagine asking HomePod for directions and having that display on your iPhone via handoff on your way out.
Your Siri queries remain private, unlike Amazon and Google who store all your queries in the cloud.
I can appreciate your response but I think you missed the point. Obviously your reason for having a smart speaker is purely for music and basic weather information. Therefore sound and sound alone is what matters to you.
Those who are really integrated into the whole smart speaker movement are looking for a smart speaker that sounds really good and pairs with all of our smart home products too.
Siri sucks. It’s not compatible with most of the MAINSTREAM smart products on the market.
Yes the echo sucks as a speaker but it’s wonderful in terms of how many products it pairs with. But check this out.....the Echo is just a device. It’s not Alexa.
Alexa is finding new homes in many different speakers. The Sonos One is one of those homes. My point was that the Sonos One offers both great sound and Alexa at a much cheaper price point. You can buy two intelligent Sonos Ones for just $50 more than the price of one unintelligent Homepod. And on top of it all, you enter into the entire Sonos ecosystem by choosing to go with the Sonos One over the Homepod.
And don’t forget....Airplay is coming to the Sonos One in 2018.
Maybe you didn’t read my entire post... I mentioned Sonos was getting AirPlay compatibility. I also know exactly how the Play 1 sounds because I bought 2 for my parents last Xmas... they’re good for the money.
You’re right, I’m not big on smart speakers; they’re not smart and until recently, didn’t have decent speakers. I think they’re a solution in search of a problem.
That’s not to say there’s zero convenience, but as a former Echo owner, I can tell you that my Apple Watch does a far better job as an assistant; whether it’s controlling my lights, setting timers, getting nfl scores, getting directions, controlling music, etc. because it’s always on me, it has a display, audio and tactile feedback and it’s integrated into the Apple ecosystem. I can even control my smart appliances from half way around the world with a flick of the wrist.
I’m not sure what “mainstream” products you need that doesn’t have a HomeKit compatible equivalent; I can find everything I need to build a smart home (and then some), and appreciate it went through Apple’s rigorous security protocols, even at the factory level, something no other vendor provides.
My Bad. Guess I didn’t catch your mention of airplay coming to Sonos. But there is no way my Apple Watch is a better assistant than my echo speaker....none. Why? Because it’s a Siri device and Siri sucks. Plus I don’t wear my Apple Watch all the time. A speaker is stationary and is always in reach when you are home.
As far as MAINSTREAM, I’m thinking of brands like Ring, Nest, Wemo, to name a few.
Seems like you just don't like Siri for whatever reason. True, a standalone speaker can be convenient at times, provided you're close to it and Alexa doesn't crap out on you. I found that issue alone made it worse than Siri... the fact that the blue ring would light up and then.... nothing. Also, for home automation, you have the home app on all iDevices which is fantastic.
As for mainstream devices, ring and wemo have announced homekit support... apparently, complying with Apple's stringent security standards is what's held them back, and personally, I wouldn't consider any device that wasn't homekit compatible for that reason alone. This is definitely a case of more is just more... security should be a top consideration for any smart home device. As for nest... really? There's ecobee and honeywell without the Google creepiness, not to mention, nest hasn't done anything in a very long time except produce some flops.
Look, it's your money. I just gave you options cos your original post made it sound like you were reticent to go outside of Apple's ecosystem but now it sounds like you're looking for every reason to not be in Apple's ecosystem. Good luck with whatever you decide.