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Apple's Touchscreen HomePod Coming This Year: Everything We Know

Having a horizontal screen you have to bend over to properly see is such a weird design. Given the 360⁰ accoustic design of the HomePod, there is little choice, but still. Modern Apple is hampered by restricting themselves to minimalistic featureless shapes for their hardware design.
 
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If this leads to the BBC in the UK finally allowing access to their radio and podcasts, I might just be tempted to get one of these. 6 years and I’m still waiting…
 
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ian6969 said:
If this leads to the BBC in the UK finally allowing access to their radio and podcasts, I might just be tempted to get one of these. 6 years and I’m still waiting…
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The BBC are such a pain with keeping their radio stations off apps and devices, and their TV channels off apps like Sky Go... the arguments for doing that are feeble.
 
ric22 said:
The BBC are such a pain with keeping their radio stations off apps and devices, and their TV channels off apps like Sky Go... the arguments for doing that are feeble.
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The annoying thing is that their iPlayer and Sounds apps are great on iPhone and iPad, and the Sounds app via CarPlay is pretty much my main source of entertainment in the car. Why the hell they can’t bring it to HomePod is beyond me.
 
ian6969 said:
The annoying thing is that their iPlayer and Sounds apps are great on iPhone and iPad, and the Sounds app via CarPlay is pretty much my main source of entertainment in the car. Why the hell they can’t bring it to HomePod is beyond me.
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They claim they won't get accurate reports of number of viewers if they don't restrict things... pathetic. We shouldn't need their apps if they'd let others integrate them.
 
LeeW said:
Why though... I mean, the majority will put this in a place where you want to say what you want to listen to or ask what is playing if you don't know and want to. You should not need to go over and see. Improve Siri.
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I agree. However adding a screen would be very cheap, even if rarely ever useful.
 
swiftapplefan said:
I still think that a side mounted display would be more useful. With at top display, you can see it only from above. An Echo show approach would be miles more useful.
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If any, agree. Mine are not placed anywhere near to manage from the topsides.
I neither look at the top of my big ones.
The minis I manage often from the top though through the iPhone though.
It works great to just hold the iPhone over and it connects. The phone is the touchscreen.
 
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We need a small screen that you can place on table or on the wall, that have the ability to act as a hub device (with the ability to control music).

If we need new HomePods, I really want a full-size soundbar (maybe with integrated AppleTV and camera).
The ability to ad multiple extra HomePods for a great surround effect.

the soundbar will also need a (optional) subwoofer.

Currently if have a midrange soundbar, that sounds way better than my HomePods. I love the Apple Eco-system, but it’s taking forever to create products that so many users are requesting. (West-Europe)
 
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My original HomePod just died. I liked the sound quality in large kitchen with high ceilings. Looking foreward to this release and if it can make the text on the screen useful the a screen could work.
 
Reverend Benny said:
Don't really see the use for a screen on top of a speaker. Sure, its cool when you walk over to see what song that's being played but it feels a bit unnecessary.
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Totally agree and I dont think Apple would release something so dysfunctional. if it was just for aesthetics they would have done in gen 2. If a touch interface is to be added, they will adopt a usable design. Standby mode is already evidence of how it could work.
 
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I don’t think they would release something like this. What’s the point? Literally in 3 of my 4 full size HomePods I couldn’t even see that comfortably.
 
JCCL said:
I don’t think they would release something like this. What’s the point? Literally in 3 of my 4 full size HomePods I couldn’t even see that comfortably.
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Unless the LCD display is actually superimposed on a panel and can flip up and swivel.
 
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Personally this thing will be perfect in my kitchen where it will be the smart home hub and everyone in the family can adjust the music without me needing to unlock and hand over my phone.
 
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Imagine using it with Spotify, skipping a song via Touchpad and waiting a second until it responds. No thanks o_O
 
JBVisual said:
We need a small screen that you can place on table or on the wall, that have the ability to act as a hub device (with the ability to control music).

If we need new HomePods, I really want a full-size soundbar (maybe with integrated AppleTV and camera).
The ability to ad multiple extra HomePods for a great surround effect.
Click to expand...
This⬆️

This is the Nirvana Apple should be seeking.

For a while I used an iPad Mini to serve this function with an AirPlay receiver hooked into my A/V receiver. Now I just want to go full HomePod Atmos surround sound with a HomePad Max sub-woofer, a new HomePod soundbar or HomePod (Midi?) left-centre-right and HomePod Minis as the surrounds.

Fix Siri. Oh, and give them Bluetooth and/or a jack to make them compatible with external sources other than AirPlay (and useful for video calls) and I really believe Apple might have a market beater.

They may have to re-think pricing slightly, although they're not that far away from Sonos.
 
The only thing I actually want is to be able to use it as a speaker and mic on my Mac, without latency. I tried my original HomePod and every time I launched anything audio, it would play like 2s after. Ridiculous.
 
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