For once, I have no interest in an Apple device. Usually, I have at least a curiosity that may lead to a desire to purchase it, but if all this thing does is “play music better” with the same interface success as my iPhone has with... no thank you.
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Apple's Early Version of HomePod Stood Three Feet Tall and Packed Dozens of Speakers
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I guess there is a market for it since Apple is releasing it. But I assume the group of people who ‘want a voice assistant and a premium speaker and need them to be in the same unit while also caring so much about sound quality to pay $700 for a pair of speakers that won’t replace their home theatre system’ is very small.
You clearly wouldn't be in the market for such a speaker as you already have a music set up that you prefer. This would be for people that don't, want a good speaker for music (potentially able to move room to room), and have additional "smart" features. I am with you, I have no use for this product, but some do.
You essentially repeated your original statement. This doesn't explain why someone with the ability to play music wirelessly in their house already should be interested in buying this if its primary focus is playing music.
Is there any other reason to get this than to play music?
I've already got surround sound around my house, I see no reason to have this piece of tech. I'm sure it's cool but it's to pricey for 1 item. But then again it's Apple and everything they put out is expensive. This is one item from them I truly don't need to get involved in.
I don't get the purpose of these "smart" speakers. I already have three different Bose wireless speakers. I can clip the latest model to my belt, use it in the shower and wash it if it gets dirty. Unless I rewire the entire house with "smart" appliances, the smart functions are useless.
Connect a pair of speakers to an Amazon Dot? Really? You can build a PC yourself but consumers have shown they'd much much rather buy one pre-made from Dell, HP, or Apple. People don't want to buy an Amazon Dot and then buy a pair of speakers. They want one integrated product that does it all. You can do everything Sonos does with a pair of home speakers, AirPlay, and an amp but people don't want to do that, which is why they buy Sonos.
Please show us a comparable speaker with beam-forming, personal assistant, and the other tech the HomePod offers, at a lower price.
There are some things I like about the HomePod idea but a couple I don't like the sound of. a.) it the thing is too tightly tied to Apple Music then it is reduced to being another vehicle for pushing that service, just what has loused up iTunes beyond recognition. The results are disastrous when Apple's Marketing division is allowed any input into Engineering's decisions. b.) We seem to be looking at a strictkly monophonic speaker. When all the varnish is stripped away this appears to be a retreat to audio technology as it existed in the 1950's. Compare this to Google Home. On the rare occasions when the Bluetooth pairings decide to work properly, if you put two of them in the same room they start behaving like a genuine stereo pair and give you a convincing, realistic sound stage. I've not encountered even the slightest hint that the HomePod is going to have the same capability.
Maybe you need to go to the bathroom?
How do you know, were you personally there at the time?
No. You're just surmising and assuming by plucking BS out of thin air.
That's awesome. Sounds like it's a solution that works for you. Go with it. That doesn't mean that it works for everyone else or that it's the best solution out there. Others will ahem different needs than your own.
Seems to me Apple is targeting Sonos and Bose. Are they really competing with the audiophile crowd?
I'm still confused about Homepod... I've read it won't stream anything but Apple Music. Does that mean it won't be able to stream KCRW?
Because honestly, it'll be useless to me if that's the case.
Because honestly, it'll be useless to me if that's the case.
If you are in the market for a high end smart speaker, this is an option. If you're not, then no reason for you to consider.
Apple pretends that it can roll out solo and isolated products without industry support because it works for them sometimes. like mac and iphone. This is called inconsistent reinforcement of their model but it doesn't work in every category and it feels like they bang their head against the wall with projects like Mac Pro, iPod HiFi, G4 Cube and then are surprised when those things don't work.
The home is a system of many components, power outlets, lights, kitchen appliances, TV, home theaters, security, wireless networks, wired networks, garage doors, hot tubs, swimming pools, outdoor lighting, indoor lighting, baby monitors, fire alarms/smoke detectors, laundry, HVAC systems each with humidifiers, air filtration (sometimes powered), and water pumps, ventilation systems (in the kitchen), plumbing incl. pumps, water softeners, and filters. and dozens of 'modes' like awake morning, daytime, evening, nighttime, entertaining, guests over, holiday, baby nap times, and many many more.
In the face of this apple put good speakers (not innovative) with iPhone parts (not innovative) and slapped in Siri with no industry support and no thought to the home...other than...the 4 walls that the sound bounces off of. This is Apple's new iPod HiFi and they've ****ed it. They won't win the home. Frankly, no one wants them to win the home, there are too many systems and functions of a home and Apple won't want anything that doesn't have it's profit margins, so there will be competing standards and miscommunication in smart home features with Apple as a part of the picture. Unless Apple changes there culture to consider the whole home, they are not going to be a part of it.
Amazon will tolerate slimmer margins and will take a loss-leading product that allows a stream of income from grocery to home product purchases.
The home is a system of many components, power outlets, lights, kitchen appliances, TV, home theaters, security, wireless networks, wired networks, garage doors, hot tubs, swimming pools, outdoor lighting, indoor lighting, baby monitors, fire alarms/smoke detectors, laundry, HVAC systems each with humidifiers, air filtration (sometimes powered), and water pumps, ventilation systems (in the kitchen), plumbing incl. pumps, water softeners, and filters. and dozens of 'modes' like awake morning, daytime, evening, nighttime, entertaining, guests over, holiday, baby nap times, and many many more.
In the face of this apple put good speakers (not innovative) with iPhone parts (not innovative) and slapped in Siri with no industry support and no thought to the home...other than...the 4 walls that the sound bounces off of. This is Apple's new iPod HiFi and they've ****ed it. They won't win the home. Frankly, no one wants them to win the home, there are too many systems and functions of a home and Apple won't want anything that doesn't have it's profit margins, so there will be competing standards and miscommunication in smart home features with Apple as a part of the picture. Unless Apple changes there culture to consider the whole home, they are not going to be a part of it.
Amazon will tolerate slimmer margins and will take a loss-leading product that allows a stream of income from grocery to home product purchases.
Does anyone think Apple will allow it to play from any music streaming service?
Or do you think they will lock it down/limit it to only Apple Music?
So users of say Spotify, who may currently have a Amazon Echo, or Google Home, or Sonos, and may fancy an Apple Speaker won't be able to make use of it?
Or do you think they will lock it down/limit it to only Apple Music?
So users of say Spotify, who may currently have a Amazon Echo, or Google Home, or Sonos, and may fancy an Apple Speaker won't be able to make use of it?
What evidence do we have that people really want a ‘smart’ speaker? Heck just a year or two ago bots were the hot thing and every company was showing off their chat bots and Apple was doomed because of it. And before that VR was the next big thing. How do we know smart speakers aren’t just a fad that the tech press will tire of when they move on to the next thing?
This has been Apple's marketing scheme for the last thirty years. The amazing thing is that people obviously are still falling for it.
Would any Audiophile really want anything with such tiny speakers in Mono ?
I have (and still have) speakers 100x better than this from literally decades ago.
Look at how bad these rumor sites have gotten. They're posted claims of iPhone additions like virtual keyboard, projectors, and much more. Then look at all the people that get upset when Apple doesn't release products that were rumored from unreliable sources. Apple can stop these stupid rumors from hurting them by simply announcing the product.
Announcing a product early also helps to build excitement about it and increases sales. We're seen this with every iPhone. It works. So they're applying it to other products too and benefitting from it.