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I tried using my iPad Air as a home hub, but the issue is Siri prioritization. It goes to HomePods if they are in the vicinity and not the iPad, even though the iPad processes, the request much faster.

Pair that iPad with "dumb" speakers since smarter smarts are in the iPad.

Move the HPs to other rooms where you have no such alt interface available.

Else, if this thing is basically a HP with a screen, it too will be likely conflict in the very same way with other nearby HPs.
 
There are all kinds of wall brackets like "little TV" wall brackets that can allow a person to utilize perhaps a former iPad laying in a drawer for "hub" functionality like this... with which one could also use ANY powered speaker vs. only one from Apple and thus as locked down as HPs.

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I just don't see the point of putting a function-minimized iPad hard-affixed to a HP. I'd rather have a fully-functional iPad and a HP or any other speaker used in the same ways. This will need to do something oddly special (and hard to imagine) to make more sense than maybe reallocating an old iPad with a counter or wall bracket for positioning it and about any kind of speaker. These kind of brackets can be had for well south of $50.

And note, you'd have a "whole" iPad too.
You can buy a strap that lets you use your iPod nano as a watch.
 
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It will be priced much less than AVP. And will appeal to people with healthy imaginations. You are correct that people who are cynical with closed minds will probably not be interested and pan it on MR. That's a tradition.

Healthy imaginations? It’s not a HomeKit screen and will be no more exciting than google or Amazon’s version. It’s not a wonder gizmo.

Home automation just isn’t exciting for any level of imagination. It’s a locked-down house of cards that constantly has to be babysat. Yawn.

Get back to me when this stuff is 100% across the board, no exceptions, open to all three of the main smart-home companies. That requires some imagination.
 
Healthy imaginations? It’s not a HomeKit screen and will be no more exciting than google or Amazon’s version. It’s not a wonder gizmo.

Home automation just isn’t exciting for any level of imagination. It’s a locked-down house of cards that constantly has to be babysat. Yawn.

Thank you for making my case.
 
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Coming Soon!! Three devices to do what one could do. Looking forward to $500 mini display that only lets you see your doors are locked and the weather.
 
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Yeah... 1 billion active and repeat customers. Pretty good for a tech company with no imagination.

…with maybe a couple percent using HomeKit.

Most people I know are using iPhones but I’m the only one I know using HomeKit, and I still have it mixed with Google since my wife is a diehard Pixel user.

Most still have no smarthome kit at all.
 
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As someone whose eyesight isn’t that great anymore, the design is already a non-starter, unless the arm is really long (which it won’t be). Unlike Amazon’s and Google’s smart home displays, you also can’t just pick it up with your hands, as the heavy base will be dangling below.
 
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iPod: Who asked for a thousand songs in your pocket?
People carrying around folios of scratched CDs. With each one having 1-2 songs you wanted and the rest being # filler tracks.

The value of the iPod+iTMS and the iPhone were immediate and obvious. They didn't need explaining, they didn't need "imagination" to figure out what edge-cases they might be useful for. Compare to more recent offerings and now this.
 
I'm skeptical of its usefulness and they are replying on nostalgia to sell it. I have an iPad, so why do I need this?

I would rather have them improve the products they have.
 
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People carrying around folios of scratched CDs. With each one having 1-2 songs you wanted and the rest being # filler tracks.

The value of the iPod+iTMS and the iPhone were immediate and obvious. They didn't need explaining, they didn't need "imagination" to figure out what edge-cases they might be useful for. Compare to more recent offerings and now this.
Oh I’m guessing you weren’t around in 2001. A lot of people were like “who asked for this?” Some people thought Apple was starting to lose focus even.
 
Years ago I really wanted something like this. Nowadays not so much. My entire home is HomeKit devices and automation but it’s gotten to where things just work based on time or action or I’ve bought physical smart switches or nfc stickers to trigger scenes since Siri is deaf dumb and blind
 
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Pricing $249 - $299?

As someone whose eyesight isn’t that great anymore, the design is already a non-starter, unless the arm is really long (which it won’t be). Unlike Amazon’s and Google’s smart home displays, you also can’t just pick it up with your hands, as the heavy base will be dangling below.
I’d be surprised if has an arm at all.
 
Pair that iPad with "dumb" speakers since smarter smarts are in the iPad.

Move the HPs to other rooms where you have no such alt interface available.

Else, if this thing is basically a HP with a screen, it too will be likely conflict in the very same way with other nearby HPs.
But if it is categorized as a "HomePod" then it would have the same priority as the other HomePods. My hope is that it runs a faster processor than the other HomePods. Right now if I ask my HomePod to turn on a light it takes longer than asking my iPhone, iPad, or Mac. However, the priority still goes to the HomePod.
 
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