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HomePod Disables Calendar, Messages, Notes, and Reminder Features When Owner Isn't Home, But Apple Music Account Remains Accessible

I'm in the market for an easy to use *relatively* high quality speaker which I can use in the kitchen. I'm assuming that the Homepod will be best-of-breed in audio terms vs other bluetooth speakers - basically I trust Apple to put out a quality product. There is a risk I'll be disappointed - but as an Apple customer/user for the last 30 years I'm not expecting to be.

...and I totally don't care about the Siri/smart features.
 
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One of the biggest drawbacks of iOS, tvOS and related devices is that they are not multi-user friendly, if multi-user compatible at all. They all have to be tied to a single Apple ID.
Even within an account, Apple still does not allow selecting separate payment method for business expenses (apps) and personal expenses (music, movies). But I'm veering OT.
 
Dave245 said:
Ok I misunderstood that part, but if someone says to me a “speaker with assistant capability’s” I know what the product is in the same way imthat I would if someone said it’s a “speaker” the “speaker assistant” just means a speaker with an added assistant like Alexa for the Echo. I don’t know maybe I’m missing something here but I think it’s pretty clear what the HomePod is, just like it was clear what the AirPods were when they launched.
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It’s confusing because he’s being vague by saying that he wants more information without specifics. That tends to make for a long and boring discussion.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
I haven't seen any reviews from these so-called people who have tried it. I only see the Refinery 29 review and they had it for all of an hour. Hard to do meaningful audio tests in an hours. Please stop parroting Apple ads. I can read too. I just don't believe everything I read. No, when you are talking about small self-powered speakers their is "unlistenable," "Passable," and "OK." Their are strata within each but, yes, they are all marginal when you are talking about playing background music. HomePods are superior to the speaker in an old 1960's transistor radio. I'll give you that.
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Still going on with your lame attempts to bash the HomePod using terms like "marginal" and now comparing it to a "1960's transistor radio".

I find it odd that a consumer product (HomePod) can irritate you so much.
 
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Minxy said:
Apple realise how important third party apps are to the iPhone, they need to realise the same with the HomePod - starting with making sure there is Spotify support.
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No point in that. Apple Music has the same content as Spotify so why would Apple need to do that other than the normal channels that they currently support, ie airplay?
 
69Mustang said:
Hot damn Apple. Stop being so vague! You're trying to sell a product and there are still just as many questions about it's operation as there are answers. The pre-orders start tomorrow. People shouldn't be speculating what the product does/doesn't do. That should be readily available info by now.

/Rant over
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It is indeed a little odd that the HomePod page doesn’t have any new information since June. And it uses the same product video, which is really just a teaser.
 
deanthedev said:
Still going on with your lame attempts to bash the HomePod using terms like "marginal" and now comparing it to a "1960's transistor radio".

I find it odd that a consumer product (HomePod) can irritate you so much.
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It irritates me because I waited so long for a good HomeKit/Siri speaker and get this -- an overpriced, under featured Apple Music speaker. Yes, I expected more from Apple. It's being really cagey on what HomePod can or can't do and we've yet to see any true professional reviews. Are the days of Apple giving trusted reviewers products for a week before pre-order gone? And the way Tim Cook hypes it up how he cares about quality sound as if HomePod will be mistaken for KEF speakers in a blind test is ludicrous. No one expects them to sound like that and everyone understand small speakers do not have the range large speakers especially when it's pushing out compressed background music.

And no, I'm not comparing HomePod to a 1960s radio, but that is the hyperbole Apple is pushing out when it boasts "superior sound." I doubt most people will notice the difference much between HomePod and Echo with their favorite pop, rock, rap music. No one will care either because you buy a smart speaker for it's smarts more than its speaker.
 
and how would Apple archive auto-disabling these features when user isn't home ? Location Services
 
Chupa Chupa said:
I doubt most people will notice the difference much between HomePod and Echo with their favorite pop, rock, rap music. No one will care either because you buy a smart speaker for it's smarts more than its speaker.
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Uhhhh...yes, they will notice. The newest version of the Echo has a grand total of one tweeter/one woofer. It's completely obvious that Amazon wasn't serious about the audio part. It's just a throwaway function tacked on to the novelty of doing Alexa commands.
 
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Tech198 said:
and how would Apple archive auto-disabling these features when user isn't home ? Location Services
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Yep, same way Nest can tell when you're not home. It's all about phone proximity and presence of device on the local network. If you forget your phone at home, be prepared for a high heating bill :)
 
I can't wait to experience it myself but I am not clear on the Apple Lockin Factor.

Can use it from iOS and Android Devices? will it support other services like Spotify or only Apple Music?

Can I plug it into any PC via USB and user it a speaker and speakerphone?
 
adamjackson said:
will be able to send texts, set up reminders, and get calendar notifications via voice commands.

the fact I can use it as a speaker phone, reminders, send messages and have it tell me I have to leave now to make an appointment on time, that's pretty damn cool. We only use Apple devices & services in our house (no google and only amazon for buying goods) so that 1st party integration is going to allow me to throw out my Sonos and never consider getting an Alexa device. We already have 45+ HomeKit devices.
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I can do that now with my phone and a Sonos. If I don’t have my phone in the house i can’t do any of that with HomePod. The phone needs to be in the house. So the big difference is in one case i need to be in shouting distance of my phone, but in the other case I don’t? Is that the value proposition here? I’m being serious, I don’t understand what I’m gaining here.
 
MacSince1985 said:
One of the biggest drawbacks of iOS, tvOS and related devices is that they are not multi-user friendly, if multi-user compatible at all. They all have to be tied to a single Apple ID.
Even within an account, Apple still does not allow selecting separate payment method for business expenses (apps) and personal expenses (music, movies). But I'm veering OT.
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I don't believe that you are off topic at all. In fact that is the topic.

The news that the Homepod is a personal smart speaker instead of a smart speaker for the family,like all of the others,is in my mind the last broken straw in a pile of broken straws. Most of us live in a multi person family setting. How in the world are you supposed to buy this $350 speaker (which is a lot of money for most people to pay for a speaker,audiophiles like me excluded) and then tell you SO or your children that it's only for you. They can listen to some music, but the rest is only for you. I'd think you'd have to be brave or very stupid to expect that to fly.

I said it the other day, when all of this news started to come out,this is a product looking for a solution. It's not a product for Apple fanboys,it's a product for Super Fanboys, who expect that only Apple can solve any of their needs. NO.
 
gnipgnop said:
Uhhhh...yes, they will notice. The newest version of the Echo has a grand total of one tweeter/one woofer. It's completely obvious that Amazon wasn't serious about the audio part. It's just a throwaway function tacked on to the novelty of doing Alexa commands.
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Right, and the old Echo was so horrible that Amazon came out with even less expensive, worse sounding models. People in the market for a smart speaker don't care about sound as much as function. That is the point. The HomePod will probably sound better, but it won't be "wow!" It's not even stereo for all the audio hype it's being given. The problem with HomePod is for a smart speaker it's been dumbed down too much.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
Right, and the old Echo was so horrible that Amazon came out with even less expensive, worse sounding models. People don't care about sound as much as function. That is the point. The HomePod will probably sound better, but it won't be "wow!" It's not even stereo for all the audio hype it's being given.
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I disagree. Based on the technology employed, I think it will be a huge "wow" (considering its size).

I'm ordering one. If I don't like the sound, It'll go back within the 14 day period. Easy. If I'm indeed wowed, I'll buy another.
 
tdar said:
I don't believe that you are off topic at all. In fact that is the topic.

The news that the Homepod is a personal smart speaker instead of a smart speaker for the family,like all of the others,is in my mind the last broken straw in a pile of broken straws. Most of us live in a multi person family setting. How in the world are you supposed to buy this $350 speaker (which is a lot of money for most people to pay for a speaker,audiophiles like me excluded) and then tell you SO or your children that it's only for you. They can listen to some music, but the rest is only for you. I'd think you'd have to be brave or very stupid to expect that to fly.

I said it the other day, when all of this news started to come out,this is a product looking for a solution. It's not a product for Apple fanboys,it's a product for Super Fanboys, who expect that only Apple can solve any of their needs. NO.
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And if they listen to music, presumably that contaminates your listening history and you start getting suggestions for the music your kids listen to, etc.?
 
Definitely going to hold off until the kinks are worked out on this, or for the "inevitable" mini-homepod. Between Apple TV's connected to home theaters in my living room and bedroom, airport express speakers in every room, and echos with multi-room audio and Spotify/Sirius XM abilities, not to mention the skills, I'm very much covered for now.
 
tdar said:
I don't believe that you are off topic at all. In fact that is the topic.

The news that the Homepod is a personal smart speaker instead of a smart speaker for the family,like all of the others,is in my mind the last broken straw in a pile of broken straws. Most of us live in a multi person family setting. How in the world are you supposed to buy this $350 speaker (which is a lot of money for most people to pay for a speaker,audiophiles like me excluded) and then tell you SO or your children that it's only for you. They can listen to some music, but the rest is only for you. I'd think you'd have to be brave or very stupid to expect that to fly.

I said it the other day, when all of this news started to come out,this is a product looking for a solution. It's not a product for Apple fanboys,it's a product for Super Fanboys, who expect that only Apple can solve any of their needs. NO.
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I’m pretty sure the HomeKit stuff still works with multiple users
 
RightMACatU said:
A (security) step in the right direction.
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What if you are in the shower? Or taking a nap? You will technically be on the network but folks can read your texts and do all sorts of things on your behalf.

Fast forward two months: Wife files for divorce after homepod read texts from husband mistress
 
Ted13 said:
If sound quality doesn't matter to you, you don't. To me HomePod's voice features are barely relevant - sound quality is all I care about.
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But if you really care about sound quality you'd never use such a small (and single) speaker.
 
I think with the HomePod, the audio will be exactly what Apple said it will be, "Room filling". And I'm sure it will be comparable to the Google home Max and Sonos. However, I think the real competition will be between the artificial intelligence between the competitors. And I hope Siri delivers in a way that will make the HomePod seamless experience.
 
cmaier said:
I can do that now with my phone and a Sonos. If I don’t have my phone in the house i can’t do any of that with HomePod. The phone needs to be in the house. So the big difference is in one case i need to be in shouting distance of my phone, but in the other case I don’t? Is that the value proposition here? I’m being serious, I don’t understand what I’m gaining here.
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If you're home, did you forget your phone at work?

If you do forget your phone at work or are not in the house, do you want your kids texting your boss via homePod? It's for security. I don't want anyone in my home being able to ask what my schedule is when I'm not there.

and I have a Sonos 3 bout 18 months ago. It only plays music. nothing else.
 
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