Apple’s HomePod Places Sixth in Global Smart Speaker Market in Q4 2019

[I7guy]

Add more listening options, like SiriusXM, and I'll buy one.

Supported through AirPlay.

 

[incoherent_1]

Re: Sonos - I am under the impression that they are in fact in the "Other" category - not that they are getting ignored.
So far as Siri - are you implying that it works better on AirPods than HomePods? I've seen top such evidence. In the freezing cold, my Apple watch and iPhone are buried under many layers, so I ask Siri via the AirPods, "Hey Siri, what time is it?" - more than once I have gotten the "Just a moment...can't give you an answer right now" routine. I'm pretty confident the failure rate is equivalent.
I absolutely love our stereo HomePods - so long as AirPlay 2 is fail proof I really don't care much about Siri. It annoys me more on my AirPods.

No, I wasn’t singling out Siri on HomePod. I think it’s equally terrible on all their products

I was merely saying that Apple has moved to make Siri a selling point of HomePod: no ability to add other smart assistants to HomePod, and no third party support to add Siri to other speakers (Although why would you want to?).

 

[DaveN]

Perfect! Thank you so much!

Update: I don't know when this happened but audio now outputs automatically to my HomePods from AppleTV for most of the programs I use (iTunes movies, Netflix - yes, YouTube - no). So now I just turn on my AppleTV, it wakes my tv, start watching something on iTunes or Netflix, and the sound comes out through the HomePods. YouTube still routes the sound through the tv speakers though unless I go through the steps I mentioned in my earlier post but it is a big improvement. I'm not sure when the change was implemented or if I just missed it earlier, but it is sweet having the sound automatically routed to the HomePods!

 

[Chips Stephens]

So I have read all the reviews here.
One thing is clear, most who comment have not ran the homepods.
Or have not updated them? Are you on 13.4?
the HomePod sound quality wise stomps sonos, I sent a few Sonos back they are not on the HomePod level sound quality wise, some get louder but that’s not sound quality, their is a difference. Bose sound impressive in a small size until they are compared side by side with the HomePod.
The HomePod is not studio monitor accurate, but a pleasing color.
they are great at lower output levels,
I have a pair in the studio that sit on top of some very expensive Adams mains. True studio monitors are very accurate but can be fatiguing as well.
I find myself on the homepods much more to just enjoy music.
Siri has worked flawlessly, not sure why people say Siri sucks? It does not.
The home animation works flawlessly as well, tuning on lights, my whole desk, or tuning it all off, or setting mood lighting while doing mixes. Or to impress a client.
Also nfc tags work flawlessly. Sometimes the control room is too loud for Siri, nfc tags work well in that case.
Tap the tag with my phone and it does what ever I programmed it to do...
And tags are cheep.

the studio has received many compliments with how it’s set up.
It’s slick.
I think many who have issues have WiFi issues, all the gear works and works well. Siri hears me very very well.
The price of HomePod is now $200.
If $200 is overpriced, name a lower priced folded horn speaker.....
That is not selling your data?
To some sound quality matters.


I suspect few have any idea what I am talking about.

it is a nitch product, That part I agree with.

many comments hear are flat out untrue or dated...
Just saying

 

[Ghost31]

So I have read all the reviews here.
One thing is clear, most who comment have not ran the homepods.
Or have not updated them? Are you on 13.4?
the HomePod sound quality wise stomps sonos, I sent a few Sonos back they are not on the HomePod level sound quality wise, some get louder but that’s not sound quality, their is a difference. Bose sound impressive in a small size until they are compared side by side with the HomePod.
The HomePod is not studio monitor accurate, but a pleasing color.
they are great at lower output levels,
I have a pair in the studio that sit on top of some very expensive Adams mains. True studio monitors are very accurate but can be fatiguing as well.
I find myself on the homepods much more to just enjoy music.
Siri has worked flawlessly, not sure why people say Siri sucks? It does not.
The home animation works flawlessly as well, tuning on lights, my whole desk, or tuning it all off, or setting mood lighting while doing mixes. Or to impress a client.
Also nfc tags work flawlessly. Sometimes the control room is too loud for Siri, nfc tags work well in that case.
Tap the tag with my phone and it does what ever I programmed it to do...
And tags are cheep.

the studio has received many compliments with how it’s set up.
It’s slick.
I think many who have issues have WiFi issues, all the gear works and works well. Siri hears me very very well.
The price of HomePod is now $200.
If $200 is overpriced, name a lower priced folded horn speaker.....
That is not selling your data?
To some sound quality matters.


I suspect few have any idea what I am talking about.

it is a nitch product, That part I agree with.

many comments hear are flat out untrue or dated...
Just saying

Meh. I was super excited to get the HomePod and finally got it and I ended up selling it. It sounds pretty good, but not as good as my soundbar. So if I wanna play music, I could just use that anyway.

and siri just acts like she got hit in the head or something and is barely functioning. “Hey siri. Play music by Halsey” “...just a moment...just a moment...sorry I can’t help you right now”. Oh. Thanks!

I also have a couple cheapo echos and am amazed at how much they can do. they can do SO much I get an email from amazon every week telling me new crap they can do. Every week. I even have a “skill” on it to voice control my Xbox. I can use my living room echo and bedroom as an intercom system by saying “drop in” and talk to the person in the other room. I can make speakerphone calls. Can set reminders and actually have them read to me. I can set timers and actually change the sound it makes when it goes off.

I sold mine because really...if I want goodsound quality for music even a fairly cheap sound bar sounds better than the HomePod. Everything else it does is so half assed. I can see why HomePod never caught on. Not that it’s a terrible product, but that they were effectively already beat in the market by better and cheaper alternatives

 

[Chips Stephens]

Meh. I was super excited to get the HomePod and finally got it and I ended up selling it. It sounds pretty good, but not as good as my soundbar. So if I wanna play music, I could just use that anyway.

and siri just acts like she got hit in the head or something and is barely functioning. “Hey siri. Play music by Halsey” “...just a moment...just a moment...sorry I can’t help you right now”. Oh. Thanks!

I also have a couple cheapo echos and am amazed at how much they can do. they can do SO much I get an email from amazon every week telling me new crap they can do. Every week. I even have a “skill” on it to voice control my Xbox. I can use my living room echo and bedroom as an intercom system by saying “drop in” and talk to the person in the other room. I can make speakerphone calls. Can set reminders and actually have them read to me. I can set timers and actually change the sound it makes when it goes off.

I sold mine because really...if I want goodsound quality for music even a fairly cheap sound bar sounds better than the HomePod. Everything else it does is so half assed. I can see why HomePod never caught on. Not that it’s a terrible product, but that they were effectively already beat in the market by better and cheaper alternatives

Ummm so you sold your home pod and use cheep speakers now that are better?
Umm no you don’t, you just think you do.
I know better.
A soundbar speaker does not set the bar ....
But again you think it does.
Again I know better.
You are exactly why I wrote what I did.
And you made my point...
So thanks
You should reread exactly what I wrote...just saying

 

[Ghost31]

Ummm so you sold your home pod and use cheep speakers now that are better?
Umm no you don’t, you just think you do.
I know better.
A soundbar speaker does not set the bar ....
But again you think it does.
Again I know better.
You are exactly why I wrote what I did.
And you made my point...
So thanks
You should reread exactly what I wrote...just saying

is this like the strangest pissing contest or what? lol i dont really have a dog in the fight or care who’s better. I’m an apple fanboy if anything so i tend to be biased towards apple but in this case, apple got slapped by the market. HomePod is still a good product if you have a fairly narrow focus, but if you care about smarts? Echo or even google have better products. Sound quality? If you cared about sound quality enough to spend hundreds of dollars, you probably would be better off with a shelf system or even a sound bar with a sub. What HomePod has going for it is simplicity. And if thats what you’re into, then cool.