Only if you get your understanding of Apples launch goal of HomePod from the tech press or financial analysts. Apple has been crystal clear in defining the HomePod as a high quality speaker first and foremost. Watch the introduction and see.
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Barclays Says AirPods Continue to Grow, HomePod Sales Have Been Underwhelming
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Late to market check ✅
Overpriced ✅
Inferior AI ✅
Not too surprising.
Overpriced ✅
Inferior AI ✅
Not too surprising.
Rubbish. I see them everywhere. I see people jogging with them, I see tons of them on the train to work and I see lots of people using them instead of those gawdawful looking Bluetooth earpieces people used to wear.
Just another manufactured anecdote by you.
I purchased a HomePod and, inarguably, it's an incredibly niche product.
I already owned a Sonos Play:1, which I found to be a really solid product. My only gripe was that, as an older product, the Play:1 is app-controlled. As an Apple Music subscriber and someone who wasn't concerned about the HomePod cost (both niche categories of buyers), the allure of the product was to be able to use voice to control the music.
My biggest problem with HomePod is ironically how you can't app-control it like the Sonos Play:1. The Sonos app had a major benefit: once you loaded your Apple Music subscription, you could use the app on any device connected to your network. This means my wife could browse music in the Sonos app on her phone and play music on the speaker with my Apple Music account. The HomePod, on the other hand, only allows you to browse music from the Apple Music app on my phone and play it to the speaker via AirPlay. So, any other user in my house is stuck using only voice.
Additionally, as many people have noted, Siri on HomePod misses a lot of direction, particularly if there is ambient noise or a conversation in the room. For instance, I may be speaking to my wife, pause, and say, "Hey Siri, stop the music", and get no response from the system. In many cases, it's just easier to walk to the unit and hit the top to turn it off.
I already owned a Sonos Play:1, which I found to be a really solid product. My only gripe was that, as an older product, the Play:1 is app-controlled. As an Apple Music subscriber and someone who wasn't concerned about the HomePod cost (both niche categories of buyers), the allure of the product was to be able to use voice to control the music.
My biggest problem with HomePod is ironically how you can't app-control it like the Sonos Play:1. The Sonos app had a major benefit: once you loaded your Apple Music subscription, you could use the app on any device connected to your network. This means my wife could browse music in the Sonos app on her phone and play music on the speaker with my Apple Music account. The HomePod, on the other hand, only allows you to browse music from the Apple Music app on my phone and play it to the speaker via AirPlay. So, any other user in my house is stuck using only voice.
Additionally, as many people have noted, Siri on HomePod misses a lot of direction, particularly if there is ambient noise or a conversation in the room. For instance, I may be speaking to my wife, pause, and say, "Hey Siri, stop the music", and get no response from the system. In many cases, it's just easier to walk to the unit and hit the top to turn it off.
"In contrast with the popularity of AirPods, Barclays says HomePod sales have been "underwhelming" so far. The research note says Apple planned an initial production run of 6-7 million units, but it's unclear how many have sold."
And therefore sales have been underwhelming? Ok...
And therefore sales have been underwhelming? Ok...
Hmm, maybe it has something to do with the plastic absorbing moisture from the air. In any case, I'm sure Apple is working tirelessly to correct this issue.
I’ve had my AirPods for a year now and love them. I run with them 4 times a week and listen to music in the morning before the family wakes up without waking them up.
Why is it so hard for Apple to understand that if they make airpods in colors especially black then they will double sales?
Same observation here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Apple has made a lot of choices going out of their way to avoid doing what people want, and that can be a successful strategy when your horse and carriage company surprises everyone by producing the affordable automobile (and it turns out most people prefer cars to horses) but that's not how it goes most of the time.
The homepod comes off like a half baked me-too entry into a market that's really limited to begin with.
If the Mac lineup was firing on all cylinders and the iPhone line made any sense, fun side projects like the AppleTV and HomePod can be excused for being so undercooked. But the core product lines to the Apple Brand are a mess, and so are the accessory lines.
Kind of feels like the whole company needs to unpack its boxes into its mothership, and do a total reorganization.
The homepod comes off like a half baked me-too entry into a market that's really limited to begin with.
If the Mac lineup was firing on all cylinders and the iPhone line made any sense, fun side projects like the AppleTV and HomePod can be excused for being so undercooked. But the core product lines to the Apple Brand are a mess, and so are the accessory lines.
Kind of feels like the whole company needs to unpack its boxes into its mothership, and do a total reorganization.
Did anyone read the article? These types of "estimates" are purely speculation.
It EVEN SAYS:
HomePod sales have been "underwhelming" so far. The research note says Apple planned an initial production run of 6-7 million units, but it's unclear how many have sold.
How can you say underwhelming when you yourself say Apple PLANNED 6-7M units and you DON'T KNOW how many of them sold?
Translation: We don't really know.
It EVEN SAYS:
HomePod sales have been "underwhelming" so far. The research note says Apple planned an initial production run of 6-7 million units, but it's unclear how many have sold.
How can you say underwhelming when you yourself say Apple PLANNED 6-7M units and you DON'T KNOW how many of them sold?
Translation: We don't really know.
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Not to mention there are a LOT of posters here on MR who have AirPods and comment that they are one of the best products Apple has ever made.
yes, it's a speaker and even this speaker is intentionally limited with regard to e.g. sound sources :-/
Sonos app is a complete garbage on Mac, on iPhone it is better but still and No. 1 battery drainer for me as well.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Colorware can save you the trouble of waiting for Apple to do this. They'll make them any color, even different colors for left & right... and case if you like.
