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

[Kermit262]

Just ordered a HomePod in Space Gray. And pick it up at the nearby Apple Store on February 9.

Looking forward to the review.

 

[Tinmania]

And that’s the problem, for a lot of people it’s about the Apple ecosystem.

Normally I would agree. But in this case the person specifically mentioned only caring about music quality--no care at all for Siri etc. There are plenty of better speakers if that is all you want--and they all can play music from Apple. So it struck me as odd.

In my case, while I do want good sound, I definitely would also want to use Siri for reminders, home control, etc. I currently have Amazon Echos that I really like. I had Google Home too, which probably was a little better, but my wife refused to conform to "OK Google" (or Hey Google) whereas just saying Alexa was acceptable. Hey Siri, is not as "friendly" to me as simply saying Alexa--but I think it is better than saying Hey/OK Google, which sounds like you are talking to a company.



Mike

 

[springsup]

I notice very few people in my close social circle don’t have an iPhone.

That’s nice, but statistically not something you can rely on.

 

[longpath]

Are ANY of the HomeKit hub devices, whether iPad, AppleTV, or HomePod, capable of the multi-user support that a number of us are looking for? It appears to me that this capability may not exist anywhere in Apple's ecosystem. If this perception is correct, I wonder if this is an oversight or an intentional omission.

 

[WhiteHawk]

So this is definite now right? I have a Apple Music subscription and if I’m out of the house they can still use it on the HomePod? This is a important point for me.

 

[Keirasplace]

Normally I would agree. But in this case the person specifically mentioned only caring about music quality--no care at all for Siri etc. There are plenty of better speakers if that is all you want--and they all can play music from Apple. So it struck me as odd.

In my case, while I do want good sound, I definitely would also want to use Siri for reminders, home control, etc. I currently have Amazon Echos that I really like. I had Google Home too, which probably was a little better, but my wife refused to conform to "OK Google" (or Hey Google) whereas just saying Alexa was acceptable. Hey Siri, is not as "friendly" to me as simply saying Alexa--but I think it is better than saying Hey/OK Google, which sounds like you are talking to a company.



Mike

There is no "better" speaker for this price, cause there is no speaker near this price with this kind of tech.
So, what are you talking about.
The main R&D and feature in this is the sound tech, not Siri. Siri here is just there for the ride.
It is improved by the by the better mikes needed for the dynamic speakers (responding to the room acoustic) but in no way Siri adding one cent to this speaker. It is "paid for" elsewhere.
If you mean if I dance in front of my "same" speaker in an acoustically neutral space I can get something better.... Well, even that is by no means true cause you won't get more than one source from that speaker.
So, again what you talking about.

 

[Ted13]

So if you don't care about voice, then Homepod is not for you. There are plenty of Sonos speakers that offer much more and probably much better sound.

Actually the first "reviews" say otherwise - HomePod is supposed to be better than Sonos. Obviously we can wait for more info, personal listening etc., but one of the common assumptions are "it can't be is as good as" like "the iPod cannot be as good as a Sony Discman"
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But if sound quality does matter to me (and it does), I'd rather listen to music in my living room on my 7.1 home theatre setup for my TV (and i do).

For people who want a high quality, self-contained wireless speaker, the space is full of products in the $200-400 range from several companies. Even assuming the homepod does sound magnificent, which it most likely will, Apple is going to have a very hard time standing out in this market. Unless they make it all about siri integration.

If, as you say, sound quality is all you care about and the voice features are barely relevant, I'm surprised you didn't buy a wireless speaker years ago; they're hardly a major investment, homepod included.

All your points are good, and yes my existing sound system is high end Denon receivers and high end wired speakers. If I were to get a HomePod it would be for the kitchen. However my mom and a number of friends for various reasons a perfect for the HomePod.

My mom lives in a big house, and mostly listens to music via iPad to a Bose wireless/bluetooth speaker. The HomePod will work for her in different rooms (yes, only after the AirPlay 2 release), will certainly sound far better and have a much better UI than her Bose (which IIRC cost $400 when she bought it).

Some friends bought Amazon Echos which they quickly discovered sound like cheap clock radios, other bought Sonos, but not being techies are having frequent UI issues.

I am not making predictions, just giving my personal facts/opinions. (PS, my mom already ordered one)
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If sound quality is all you care about there are many other options which are much better then this. If you prefer sound quality get an AV receiver with a pair of stereo speakers. Like Quadral or B&W speakers.

Then you have sound quality.

These kind of speakers are for convenience mostly.

These are the kind of speakers I have. But for another room I would never again buy another amp, more speakers and run more wires. That era (for me) is over - and the sound quality of the HomePod is supposed to be a lot more than just a "convenience".
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... and You're waiting for an Apple product? Many great sounding small speakers out there.

Out if curiosity - which small wireless speakers are as good or better than the HomePod (yes, obviously we need to listen to it before making assumptions) - but my personal knowledge is Sonos, I have recommended it to friends, and the first news I've heard is that the HomePod is better than Sonos (for sound quality). We'll see if that is so - but please do let me know if you think there are other small, wireless speakers that are clearly superior to Sonos.
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To people who are truly serious about sound quality they don't listen to compressed music at home and they don't enjoy music on tiny mono speakers, no matter how "crisp" the manufacture says they are. Pick a magazine like Stereophile and you'l see the stark difference here. The only real difference here is that HomePod supports HomeKit and limited SiriKit and Echo supports Alexa.

Yes, it is all about the voice features, or lack therof. People who have gold plated sensitive ears look to the a highly revered audio companies that have been studying sound and engineering speakers for decades. (I'm not an audiophile, but I know them. They lovingly mock my $4K PSB 7.1 speaker system and $3k Denon. I understand why.)

Anyone who touts the HomePod's "superior sound" is either a hack, a lemming, or an audiophile wannabe.

I agree with you the great sound is above all not at home. I make sure I go to Het Concertgebouw when in Amsterdam or La Scala in Milan and here in NYC would much rather go to Carnegie Hall than the formerly known as Avery Fisher Hall now Geffen. I won't bore you with preferred places for jazz or rock.

But yes, I too want to listen to music at home as well, and if I set up a new room, or new place or help friends/family I am done with wired speakers, amps, etc. Ready for the next step - and I'm more than happy for suggestions for better than HomePods small wireless speakers.

 

[Tinmania]

There is no "better" speaker for this price, cause there is no speaker near this price with this kind of tech.
So, what are you talking about.

If you can't keep up with what is being discussed, please don't respond with something that has no bearing on it. The discussion was about someone who claimed to have zero interest in "this kind of tech" so your incredulous reply is rather odd.



Mike

 

[Uofmtiger]

I placed my order. The reason is that I use Apple Music, I have AirPlay 2 devices it will eventually control, and I like the ability to use it as an AirPlay speaker. I want the Siri features mainly for music and I like the idea of a decent sounding speaker with a small footprint for when I don’t want to fire up the main system. I don’t think this device is for everyone, but I am accustomed to using Siri with Apple Music on numerous devices, so this expands on that ecosystem.

I also have Dots around the house and will keep those as well. They were cheap and are fine for certain skills that the HomePod won’t feature.

 

[jagooch]

Another preview, this time from Lance Ulanoff. Pretty much tells us what we already know, that the sound quality is excellent. Of course the question people are really asking is all about Siri and why Apple isn’t trying to compete with Echo and Home. Rene Ritchie tweeted tonight that Apple needs a VP of Siri to drive the product forward.

https://medium.com/@LanceUlanoff/up-close-with-apple-homepod-siris-expensive-new-home-22f1ee0e682

they definitely do. I just assumed Siri on homepod would be the same ( minus apps and screen) as Siri when I bought them to replace Sonos and Echo speakers.

i used the Echo for news, audible.com books, managing lists, alarm to wake up for work, and managing my appointments. I could also place orders on Amazon or even order pizza with it.

Sonos provided backup alarm clock and multiroom audio. I occasionally used Sonos app integrations like Apple Music and the Pocket Casts app, but these were pared down versions of the ios counterparts, so I mostly streamed to Sonos from iOS apps.

The Homepod sounds great, but Siri is seriously crippled compared to the Echo, and doesn't provide multi-room audio yet.

My dream of connecting Homepods ( i purchased 3) and disconnecting Sonos and Amazon Echos remains just a dream.

 

[Keirasplace]

they definitely do. I just assumed Siri on homepod would be the same ( minus apps and screen) as Siri when I bought them to replace Sonos and Echo speakers.

i used the Echo for news, audible.com books, managing lists, alarm to wake up for work, and managing my appointments. I could also place orders on Amazon or even order pizza with it.

Sonos provided backup alarm clock and multiroom audio. I occasionally used Sonos app integrations like Apple Music and the Pocket Casts app, but these were pared down versions of the ios counterparts, so I mostly streamed to Sonos from iOS apps.

The Homepod sounds great, but Siri is seriously crippled compared to the Echo, and doesn't provide multi-room audio yet.

My dream of connecting Homepods ( i purchased 3) and disconnecting Sonos and Amazon Echos remains just a dream.

11.3 is in beta, so your "dream" is about to come true.