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Apple Shares New Video on Getting the Most From HomePod
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So you’re saying you would love to buy a HomePod if Apple Music was more like Spotify (or if HomePod supported Spotify). And that you’re not complaining due to feeling left out.
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No to both. It uses its own voice controlled search product. If you have Amazon Prime you get access to an included music service similar to Apple Music, although I don't think it has as many songs/artists as Apple Music.
More Apple speculative hype! Spotify was first and eclipses Apple in worldwide subscribers and growth. IMHO Apple Music can't catch up and I'll believe those claims when I see it. I'm sure much of that wishful thinking is contingent upon the success of the HomePod which thus far is weak.
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No i'm saying I would buy and subscribe it they were good. Im not alone in my opinion and the early sales stats and the subscriptions in comparison to Spotify show it. I also said that the hate is a bit much and no disrespect to those that are happy with their purchase. Thats great! But I do raise my eyes to your statement that Spotify subscribers feel left out. Maybe you are being a bit defensive to the criticism.
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Perhaps, my view would become more apparent if Siri and SiriKit are improved by WWDC, but the "media" domain for Spotify still isn't allowed.
I have no clue as to what your point is but so be it. You are entitled to your personal opinion but I personally rely more on raw facts and data to cast my opinion and not knee jerk reactions like "we feel left out."
The point is that, if the "under performing" part of your argument is addressed by Siri being improved, and SiriKit being advanced so that App Developers can integrate with the HomePod. But if Spotify was left out of that permission, then your personal bias towards / desire for Spotify would become more apparent ... as the only thing left would be that Apple Music isn't like Spotify.
The claim was the U.S. specifically, and it doesn't really seem that farfetched. To make the prediction, all you need is basic math.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-music-on-track-to-overtake-spotify-in-u-s-subscribers-1517745720
I did think the following quote was notable.
"As of June, Spotify said it has 140 million active users world-wide. The company has been targeting March or April for its market debut, said people familiar with the matter. Spotify has never reported a profit, but has said it believes it can become profitable once it has amassed sufficient users, without specifying what that scale would be."
Sounds sustainable...
Like I said, ill believe it when I see the numbers, until then IMHO its wishful thinking.
Unfortunately that number is loaded. Of that number Spotify has 50 million paid subscribers, compared to Apple's current 30 million. It seems to me that Spotify might crumble under its own weight. If Spotify goes IPO, then they'll have to provide the details of their strategy to investors for ER, and the feasibility of "amassing sufficient" users claim will become clear or not. But for now I assume that their approach to becoming profitable means: adding more users, because the more users they add then the more likely that a couple of them will pay for the service.
If that route continues the weight of the free tier will cause the paid tier to buckle, and Wall Street would be completely unforgiving.
It's just a simple prediction grounded in math, nothing more nothing less.
The Amazon Echo inside the Sonos ONE speaker is a somewhat limited version of Echo. It is NOT able to do the full feature set of a standard Amazon Echo. See:
https://www.pocket-lint.com/speaker...onos-one-vs-amazon-echo-what-s-the-difference
I've listened to the Sonos ONE and Sonos Play:1 on multiple occasions. They do NOT sound as good as the HomePod. Anyone that suggests they do or any "blind test" where a listener picked the Sonos ONE over HomePod (for sound quality) is out of their freakin minds. It's not even a close contest, the HomePod sounds vastly superior.
The Sonos Play:3 might give the HomePod a run for its money as far as sound quality goes but I'd have to listen to them side-by-side to be sure. And that's with listening to the Play:3 in the "sweet spot", directly in front of the speaker.
The thing is, HomePod sounds outstanding from ANY spot in the room. And HomePod's Siri can hear your command with the music loud and just talking in your normal voice, no shouting necessary. It is downright magical how well Siri can hear and understand you.
The exceptional sound quality that spans the entire room plus Siri's magical ability to recognize voice commands all has to do with the hardware that Apple packed into the HomePod. Nobody else is making hardware that is this good, in this size, at ANY price. The rest of it such as stereo pairing, AirPlay 2, increased Siri command set, etc. is all SOFTWARE. HomePod can (and will) receive software updates that improve and increase its capabilities, no hardware update needed.
With Sonos ONE you are stuck with hardware that is inferior by comparison.
Mark
Yep, but unlike many here I am objective and don't get offended when someone critiques a consumer electronics device from a company that doesn't give one iota about them. I also call hypocrisy and arrogance when I see it.
I have an iMac 27 2017 --- love it. I have an iPad Pro 12.9 ----- love it, it has replaced my laptop. I have an iPhone X ---- solid phone, great camera, not big on faceID as it doesn't work nearly as reliably as was made out my Apple and I'm not crazy about the notch, but overall a good device. I have a series 2 Apple watch, solid product.
I just see the HomePod and HomeKit as overpriced, limited products, that if anyone did ten minutes of research they'd find much better value propositions.
I have an iMac 27 2017 --- love it. I have an iPad Pro 12.9 ----- love it, it has replaced my laptop. I have an iPhone X ---- solid phone, great camera, not big on faceID as it doesn't work nearly as reliably as was made out my Apple and I'm not crazy about the notch, but overall a good device. I have a series 2 Apple watch, solid product.
I just see the HomePod and HomeKit as overpriced, limited products, that if anyone did ten minutes of research they'd find much better value propositions.
It's not the sound quality that I'm disappointed with, nor is it the cost of the HomePod itself. It's the closed Apple music system. Yes you can airplay music from other devices or sources to the device, but it's not a straightforward procedure. As an example: Say you have a turntable, a vinyl album, and a HomePod. Any manner of playing the music that is on the LP using the HomePod is going to take multiple steps, probably multiple pieces of equipment and either Siri won't be usable at all or it will require a monthly or yearly subscription to an Apple service to be able to use it. Apple used to be known for good, simple, and intuitive. This isn't any of those.
"Hey Siri, when was the homepod released?"
"A visit to Apple.com should be able to help you"
"Hi Alexa, when was the homepod released?"
"It was released on the 9th of february 2018 in the US"
I see Siri hasn't progressed much since i asked "why is google a better search engine than you are?" Siri replied by saying she needed to go onto google to get the answer. I guess it can be excused as Siri hasn't been around that long and Apple doesn't have the biggest budget available....
"A visit to Apple.com should be able to help you"
"Hi Alexa, when was the homepod released?"
"It was released on the 9th of february 2018 in the US"
I see Siri hasn't progressed much since i asked "why is google a better search engine than you are?" Siri replied by saying she needed to go onto google to get the answer. I guess it can be excused as Siri hasn't been around that long and Apple doesn't have the biggest budget available....
HomePod isn't directed at the audiophile that has a turntable and a collection of vinyl. If that's you, then the HomePod isn't for you. And it's ridiculous to argue that HomePod should be compatible with your turntable. That's not its purpose.
HomePod is a quick and easy way to bring quality audio into multiple rooms in your home. Plug it into the 120v outlet, run the 1 minute setup procedure and, bingo, a superior sounding speaker with voice control in a room that didn't have a speaker before.
You are arguing that HomePod should be something that it isn't. That's not Apple's fault, it's your own unrealistic expectations. Why even bother to read these threads when, clearly, HomePod isn't the right speaker for you? Isn't your time more valuable than that?
I don't own a Tesla nor do I plan to own one. Unsurprisingly, I don't spend time in Tesla forums arguing about Tesla features. If I did I'd be a troll. The internet could use a lot fewer trolls, don't be a troll.
Mark
While I agree with your overall assessment of HomePod, I think you expect too much. HomePod isn’t a full-featured smart speaker, nor is it a proper home audio solution. It’s an Apple Music accessory. While it might one day develop into something greater, for now it’s pretty much just an attempt to build out and fortify Apple Music. After all, today’s Apple is all about services revenue. Whereas hardware used to be Apple’s primary raison d’être, today’s Apple is about hardware+services.
Anyone who cares about high quality audio already has a setup. Anyone who cares about multiroom audio already has a setup. And anyone who wants a new system with these features has many, many choices. So why choose Apple? Because you are brand loyal and use Apple Music. Otherwise there’s no advantage whatsoever to HomePod.
"Hey Siri, when was the homepod released?"
"A visit to Apple.com should be able to help you"
"Hi Alexa, when was the homepod released?"
"It was released on the 9th of february 2018 in the US"
I see Siri hasn't progressed much since i asked "why is google a better search engine than you are?" Siri replied by saying she needed to go onto google to get the answer. I guess it can be excused as Siri hasn't been around that long and Apple doesn't have the biggest budget available....
Siri on HomePod's main purpose is the commands associated with playing music, setting volume, etc. It's secondary purpose is controlling smart home features through HomeKit compatible devices. Apple makes no pretense that HomePod is a "smart speaker" in the same vein as an Amazon Echo. Competing directly with Alexa was not Apple's goal. Apple chose to make a speaker with exceptional audio quality for its size that also happened to have voice control features.
That said, try this on your Alexa... Play some music from your smartphone's speaker (not playing through Echo) or play background music on another device (TV, etc.) in the same room as your Echo. Then say "Alexa, what is the name of this tune". Good luck with that.
Now do the same with a HomePod and say "Hey Siri, Shazam this".
Mark
Well put. This is why I bought two HomePods, and I’m getting a lot more out of my Apple Music subscription because the HomePod makes it so easy to access and puts out good sound. Siri does a good job managing music and I don’t really care about the rest. Not sure why people continue to trash a product because it’s not what they want.
You'll have to excuse my ignorance on this one, when i read the below on the Apple website i clearly got the wrong end of the stick.
Home to an intelligent assistant.
HomePod is great at playing your music. But it can also tell you the latest news, traffic, sports, and weather. Set reminders and tasks. Send messages. Hand off phone calls. And HomePod is a hub for controlling your smart home accessories — from a single light bulb to the whole house — with just your voice.
Siri has all kinds of answers.
Thanks to Siri, HomePod is great at the things you want to know, and do, in your home. Set timers. Convert measurements. Get translations. And get live news, sports, weather, and traffic. You can also create lists that anyone can add to.
I know I'm alone in this, but I can't sand the thought of using a company name as a wakeword.
I guess some people get into this forum for the fun of argument and that's perfectly fine. But damn I wish those folks would just own that sh%t.
But it also seems like there are those that are forgetting what "good", "simple", and "intuitive" mean because they're so stuck in the old ways they want to do things. And for them there will always be alternatives to Apple's offerings.
I bought the Home Pod, plugged it in, held my freaking phone next to it as instructed, and have been enjoying this thing to the maximum. Is it good?? Hell yes it's good! I seriously can't even grasp how they made it so simple to use with all of the tech that's involved here. Apple Music is the best thing since sliced bread and the integration is very smooth here.
All of the commands I've asked SIRI to perform work perfectly and the fact it's "always on" is so much more useful than we had imagined. Most useful so far are "play music" (obviously), "set timer", change lighting with Hue, adjust temperatures with Nest, news, weather, and reminders. This thing fits into our home perfectly.
I've tried so many speakers in our master bedroom you wouldn't believe it. Several Bose sound docks, Jbl, Logitech, Sony and HK. None of them were satisfying and none could fill our room so completely as the Home Pod does. It's fantastic! We actually bought it for the kitchen and that's where I appreciate it the most for the smart features, but I can't wait to buy a few more Home Pods and will be happy to spend the $$ when they are able to link up - it's going to be simply AWESOME.
But it also seems like there are those that are forgetting what "good", "simple", and "intuitive" mean because they're so stuck in the old ways they want to do things. And for them there will always be alternatives to Apple's offerings.
I bought the Home Pod, plugged it in, held my freaking phone next to it as instructed, and have been enjoying this thing to the maximum. Is it good?? Hell yes it's good! I seriously can't even grasp how they made it so simple to use with all of the tech that's involved here. Apple Music is the best thing since sliced bread and the integration is very smooth here.
All of the commands I've asked SIRI to perform work perfectly and the fact it's "always on" is so much more useful than we had imagined. Most useful so far are "play music" (obviously), "set timer", change lighting with Hue, adjust temperatures with Nest, news, weather, and reminders. This thing fits into our home perfectly.
I've tried so many speakers in our master bedroom you wouldn't believe it. Several Bose sound docks, Jbl, Logitech, Sony and HK. None of them were satisfying and none could fill our room so completely as the Home Pod does. It's fantastic! We actually bought it for the kitchen and that's where I appreciate it the most for the smart features, but I can't wait to buy a few more Home Pods and will be happy to spend the $$ when they are able to link up - it's going to be simply AWESOME.