Chinese Report Says $150-$200 HomePod and $799-$899 MacBook Air to Launch This Year

[prasand]

A new Mac mini would be the most boring thing they could put out right now. That's a really niche market.

For many, a Mac mini was their gateway drug to the Apple ecosystem, since it is the lowest priced Mac. In that vein I still see there being a reason for it. I only hope that if they do update it, they drop the "mini" and let it just be called a Mac (akin to iPad versus iPad Pro, iMac versus iMac Pro, MacBook versus MacBook Pro, Mac Mini versus Mac Pro? Nah).

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I would be totally down with a $150 HomePod IF it also had homesharing like the ATV.

 

[EugW]

There are limitations to technology. You do realize Apple probably understands the notch is not the ultimate solution? A full bezel is not really better and the notch can "look" like a full bezel with software to make those pixels black. It can also be useful for info, so why not have the best of both worlds until they ditch it completely?

Cuz it looks stupid and causes more problems, but solves none. It's also just an added headache for developers.

 

[bchery21]

I could use a new laptop for basic use...

 

[Rocketman]

Our company would likely buy 5 low end MacBook Airs and get external monitors for desk uses. So this news is welcome.

Hmmm, which USB-C dock to buy?

 

[Constable Odo]

You really think any smart device costs $25? Google isn’t selling hardware at a loss. You’re giving them your data with which they make money off of you and you’re paying $25 for the privilege. I’ll happily pay full price for an Apple device and keep my privacy any day.

You're in the minority. Most consumers will happily give up their privacy and their first-born for low-cost products and free services. That's why Google and Facebook are so highly valued and used by so many people. Most people enjoy spreading their personal lives and social habits all over the internet hoping they'll become famous. Apple is the only company around who thinks they're doing consumers a favor by protecting their privacy. Everyone is laughing at Siri for being stupid because Apple is handicapped by not harvesting consumer data like those other popular companies are doing. No one on Wall Street is praising Apple for protecting privacy. Instead, Apple is being cursed and ridiculed for protecting privacy.

Apple may come out with a less expensive HomePod but Siri will still be less intelligent than Alexa or Google Assistant and the reviewers are going to belabor that fact. When that cheaper HomePod doesn't sound as good as the full-sized HomePod, it's again going to come down to how stupid Siri is compared to those rival products. Apple had the cash to develop Siri to be the smartest assistant around but decided not to. Now, Apple will make excuses by saying Siri is good enough to support a great-sounding speaker and they're not trying to compete with smart-speaker rivals. The news media and Wall Street don't see it that way. Amazon will continue to beat Apple because no one ever complains about Amazon's products. They're seen as good bang for the buck and that's what consumers like. Most consumers would rather have a half-dozen cheap Echo Dots than one expensive HomePod because Alexa is smarter. Apple loses on account of laziness. Apple isn't even aggressively trying to pursue the smart-speaker market while Amazon is kicking ass.

 

[vernmc]

Apple seems to be in a mode of buy it now and it's going to get better. The Apple TV, CarPlay, Homekit and HomePod all seem to be that way. It takes forever for them to get better. CarPlay is really cumbersome most of the time its just easier to use the default interface. HomeKit is getting crushed with Amazon and Google. HomePod came out with not everything working. I love Apple products but I am getting tired of this new mode. Maybe they need a new CEO.

 

[EugW]

Our company would likely buy 5 low end MacBook Airs and get external monitors for desk uses. So this news is welcome.

Hmmm, which USB-C dock to buy?

No guarantee an updated MacBook Air would get USB-C.

In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if they just kept everything identical and dropped the price $100... until they discontinued it in 2019.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

For many, a Mac mini was their gateway drug to the Apple ecosystem, since it is the lowest priced Mac. In that vein I still see there being a reason for it. I only hope that if they do update it, they drop the "mini" and let it just be called a Mac (akin to iPad versus iPad Pro, iMac versus iMac Pro, MacBook versus MacBook Pro, Mac Mini versus Mac Pro? Nah).

Actually, the Mac mini's main target market was Developers that wanted to get into iOS and Mac Development; but didn't want to shell-out for a more expensive systems.

 

[44267547]

I have no issues with Siri and I really have zero issues with Siri in my HP. It freaky fast and works great for things it is meant to do.

I agree. I think Siri really is used for basic tasks and it works well in that sense. The strongest feature about Siri with the HomePod is the sensitivity with the microphone that picks up your voice, even from long distances.

 

[EugW]

Siri is vastly inferior to Google's search engine.

Actually, the Mac mini's main target market was Developers that wanted to get into iOS and Mac Development; but didn't want to shell-out for a more expensive systems.

Says who? Yes, a lot of developers like(d) the Mac mini, but so did a lot of non-developers.

 

[GaryLasereyes]

Two things to keep in mind, wrt new iPhones:

1.) whichever smartphone manufacturer FIRST offers 10-bit extended color space Capture & Display will rule the day, & immediately render all existing smartphones obsolete ! ... in other words, even the current Flagship smartphones from Apple & Samsung will immediately lose their luster !

Apple's extended color space is called Display P3, and they use the marketing term Wide Color ... they should have called it something else, as selling anything "Wide" to a woman is difficult ... that's probably Phil Schiller's doing !

BGR10A2Unorm is the pixel format type to keep in mind ! ... Apple should have BEGAN supporting it starting in Sept 2016, when they introduced their iPhone 7 family ... so, it's now WAY OVERDUE !

Here's a little rule of thumb regarding your first point: if you have to explain why something is a giant leap in tech, it's not something the average consumer is going to get excited about. Can you picture a mom going to the Apple store to buy a phone for her kid with "10-bit extended color space Capture & Display" in mind? It will barely move the needle, let alone single-handedly dominate the market.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Siri is vastly inferior to Google's search engine.


Says who? Yes, a lot of developers like(d) the Mac mini, but so did a lot of non-developers.

Sez me, a Developer. But I certainly have some friends that "switched" using a Mac mini, too. So I do agree it is at least a strong secondary target!

 

[Constable Odo]

HomePod's problem is not its price. It's Siri, and that's a big problem.

The problem is Apple is sitting on a hundred billion dollars of cash and lets Siri become the laughingstock of voice assistants. Apple may not have any pride but I find it downright embarrassing as a shareholder. I'm not sure what excuse Apple has to offer about Siri, but it's probably some lame excuse. I personally don't care anything about voice assistants but Apple is getting summarily roasted over Siri's stupidity when compared with EVERY other rival voice assistant. It just projects a bad image of Apple when there's really no need for it to happen. Apple should realize the news media will jump on any Apple product weakness and it will spread like wildfire.

 

[EugW]

Sez me, a Developer. But I certainly have some friends that "switched" using a Mac mini, too. So I do agree it is at least a strong secondary target!

So, yourself as one developer who got a Mac mini, and friends (plural) as non-developers who got Mac minis. Gotcha.

 

[rtomyj]

You really think any smart device costs $25? Google isn’t selling hardware at a loss. You’re giving them your data with which they make money off of you and you’re paying $25 for the privilege. I’ll happily pay full price for an Apple device and keep my privacy any day.

Exactly this. At least they didn't have the courage to price the speakers highly and still steal your data (looking at you Pixel)

 

[Nimrad]

They are transforming into a services company and want devices in as many hands as possible.

 

[GaryLasereyes]

I'm not buying the rumor on the HomePod, nor iPad. While Apple's made some questionable choices lately, making a cheaper HomePod is likely going to degrade audio performance and that's really what Apple is going for here. They're certainly not trying to compete with Amazon here ... Alexa is vastly superior to Siri because Apple's just not trying with Siri.

HomePod is meant to push people to subscribe to Apple Music and drive more persistent revenue to Apple.

The iPad pricing just is too low. I can't see Apple having a delta of over $1,000 between the lowest-end iPad and the highest end. And to what end? $349 for what's a pretty good iPad is going to get $349 in revenue to Apple. Why would they drop it further for no good business reason?

I don't know if it's fair to say they're not trying with Siri. Evidence suggests they're doing a lot with Siri right now, they just haven't shown it to us yet. It's funny, lots of people are complaining about Apple releasing half finished products with promises of more functionality to come (ie. HomePod, AppleTV) but if they hold off until a product is fully baked they're accused of not trying.

 

[Z3man]

HomePod sound quality is not very good in my opinion, if they release a cheaper version it might be even worse, mind you with a bit of luck it might have less bass.

I wish Apple would just release something like an Echo Dot, then i could just plug it into a decent speaker.

 

[Baymowe335]

Cuz it looks stupid and causes more problems, but solves none. It's also just an added headache for developers.

I like it more than a full bezel. Gives the time and battery info while not taking additional space.

 

[EugW]

I like it more than a full bezel. Gives the time and battery info while not taking additional space.

You might want to rethink that statement.

Look at the wasted space on the RIGHT side.

 

[Regime2008]

Exactly this. At least they didn't have the courage to price the speakers highly and still steal your data (looking at you Pixel)

Pixel? Huh? Like the phone? Pixel Speaker? You do realize Pedro was incorrect in his post, and I corrected that already, right? Google and Amazon, both lost money selling their smart devices, yet they still manage to make Siri the laughing stock of technology.

 

[Baymowe335]

You might want to rethink that statement.

Look at the wasted space on the RIGHT side.

So one website with no zoom? I constantly use the entire screen.

 

[AngstyKylo]

You really think any smart device costs $25? Google isn’t selling hardware at a loss. You’re giving them your data with which they make money off of you and you’re paying $25 for the privilege. I’ll happily pay full price for an Apple device and keep my privacy any day.

Honestly, if you have a randomly changing IP address behind a VPN, don’t use phone data from a contract, use Tor then maybe. Otherwise, if you use a standard browser, apps, social media, online shopping, YouTube, banking like the average person your ‘privacy’ is pretty much well data mined and sold by someone already. Apple users generally have more disposable income so they are too lucrative to leave alone.

Apple was clever to say they don’t see their customers as a product, mocking Google. it was similar to Google claiming they’re some sort of fun, friendly company unlike Microsoft. Apple have been data mining their customers since they released the iTunes Store. Apple have all your product details stored on a database linked to Apple ID. When a genius comes to serve you they might do a small repair for free if you have spent thousands in the year to keep you sweet. You don’t become that successful without knowing how much your customers will spend, what they like and what will make them stay loyal. I mean a few years ago a £1000 iPhone would have sounded a bit much, but they know how much customers can afford from spending habits linked to Apple Pay.

Buy Apple products because they are mostly excellent, not because of privacy...

 

[ipedro]

Exactly this. At least they didn't have the courage to price the speakers highly and still steal your data (looking at you Pixel)

They're not really stealing your data. You're giving it to them willingly when you buy, use or sign up for a Google product. This is what Android users dont understand. Google isn't giving Samsung their operating system out of the goodness of their heart. When you use a Google service, you are the product that is being sold.