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Gurman: Higher-End AirPods to Launch in 2019, New HomePod and Over-Ear Headphones Also Likely Next Year
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This discussion is about apple expanding its product line by selling outdated technology.
Try again.
Actually it was about your comment on "too many SKUs" in regards to new AirPods, HomePods and over the ear headphones. Which would by definition be selling new technology. But go ahead and shift the goalposts to macs.
I'm no expert but if they could have shipped a cordless speaker don't you think they would have? I'd guess that it needs the AC power and also it needs wifi for Airplay so it can't be THAT portable. It's not 'bluetooth.'
They could have, without a doubt. If an iPad can be cordless, and my Bose Soundlink Mini II can be cordless (with both allowing connection to a dock or USB charger as well), then so can the Homepod. (Or “so can HomePod” in Apple speak).
I’m sure you’re right, there’s no reason Apple couldn’t make a rechargeable HomePod. All things being equal, it would be heavier, bigger and more expensive. But not particularly challenging, technically.
The reason they didn’t is most likely because they didn’t think there was sufficient demand. And why would there be? In addition to WiFi, most homes have electricity. What is there to be gained by being able to unplug the thing for 8 or 10 hours in between having it plugged in to recharge? Much easier to just leave it plugged in all the time.
So yeah, it doesn’t need to be rechargeable as far as I can tell. However there are rumors of possibly a Beats-branded Bluetooth speaker with HomePod technology, iirc. Maybe it doesn’t have Siri, just the speaker/amp/beamforming computational audio tech.
It’s a much different use case. AirPlay uses a WiFi transport at full CD quality. To use it in the wild, they’d have to bust it back to lossy Bluetooth.
Thanks for the background on M.Grummer as I look at Bloomberg Technology section daily if not every 3 days on web or via AppleTV app and many of his articles too succinctly resemble threads and discussions here.
Seems like sweating is your thing ... Glad a low tech solution works for you. Curious if you have an Apple Watch and if it’s heart rate sensor has issues during times of intense sweating for you on your wrist?
Yeah I haven't followed him closely in recent years, aside form occasional mentions on MacRumors or Daring Fireball. His sources were crazy.
Actually the vast majority of my sweating is on my head. It's kinda weird. I never have sweaty palms or anything. Hairdressers have told me I have unusually thick hair which might have something to do with it. I've never had problems with my Apple Watch heart rate sensor, though battery life on my S0 is rough. Looking forward to September.
I sweat on my head more than anywhere else on my body ... nothing wrong with that ... after all a HUGE amount of body heat is concentrated therein for everyone.
September ... now THAT is going to be a great announcement. I'll have my money ready ... unless a quad-core 13" MBP TB debuts first as I don't have a computer of any kind of my own. MBA LED to be repaired Friday for my sister to own Saturday/Sunday.
I'm on the iUP for a new iPhone. Basically I'm finally at a point where I could wait two years but it's basically the same price and I don't have to mess with selling on CL. I couldn't wait three years on iPhone upgrades. Apple Watch is way overdue. iPad Pro is probably good but looking at that new render that was just posted has me questioning my ability to resist—might have to wait for an OLED model. Lastly I'm going to buy some sort of desktop Mac to replace my 2012 MBP at home. I have a newer MBP for work so I don't need something portable now and I'm currently building a studio in my basement so I might just wait and see what the Mac Pro is about next year and get a base model that I can upgrade over time. Lots of money going towards Apple in the coming year. I try not to think about it…lol.
Why would that be, though? If the source uses Wi-Fi, e.g., your phone, I see no reason why the speaker has to be plugged in to use Wi-Fi.
It doesn’t need it for long. My Bose Soundlink speakers run for 12 hours at high volume.
My wife has a Libratone Zipp Mini that is a really great portable Airplay speaker, and will be getting a software update to support AirPlay 2. The sound isn't as excellent as our Homepod, but is still pretty good. Great battery life, too. The one thing it really lacks is the Homepod's ability to act as a Homekit hub and Siri listener -- in the living room we just speak to the Homepod to adjust the lights and ceiling fan, even if it's playing music, but in other rooms we have to make sure our phone is nearby and can hear us over any separate device playing audio.
I'd love a smaller scale HomePod model for a couple smaller areas of the house. Give it nearly as good sound, 65% of the volume capacity, and include all the other features at $200-$250 and I'll buy at least two, along with a full size one to make a stereo pair in the living room. For my purposes it doesn't even need a battery -- portability would cause the HomePod to constantly readjust for surroundings anyway (is that a significant problem? I don't really know.), and every time you forget to plug it in again you'll get more annoyed than with a simply unavailable speaker.
It’s unclear exactly what the new HomePod will look like, but it’s likely the Apple product that needs more work. While critics noted that the HomePod served its purpose well as a speaker, its functionality is rather limited when it comes to the “smart” aspect....There might also be the possibility of adding biometric sensors to upcoming AirPods, including a heart rate monitor, to further strengthen Apple’s health-related products. With these new features, it’s likely that the AirPods will cost more than they do now ($159).
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