Its not a fair comparison because these are not competing devices. Compare HomePod with Sonos Play:3 or the Google Home Max. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out the free/$30 devices are selling more than the $350 device.
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HomePod Estimated to Have Just 4% Market Share Worldwide Despite 45% Sales Growth Last Quarter
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I had a Sony stereo which I gave away when I got my first HomePod. However I hadn’t been using it for a few year anyway.
Again, fair to whom? It's a basic report. Company X sold Y units for Z market share. Detailed reports are behind paywalls.
It also doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that your analogy can easily be disproved by comparing the sales of iPhones to Xiaomi phones. iPads compared to Amazon tablets.
According to Gruber, Apple make a loss on the HomePod.
https://9to5mac.com/2019/02/02/apple-tv-homepod-margins/
Quote:
On this week’s episode of his podcast ‘The Talk Show,’ John Gruber shared some interesting details about Apple’s pricing of the Apple TV and HomePod. Citing a “reliable little birdie,” Gruber says that the Apple TV is actually sold at cost, whereas Apple sells the HomePod at a loss
Siri is for garbage and by that i mean plenty of times she wont hear you or wont understand what you are saying.And that happens many times.
One time me and my wife where just talking inarticulate and siri would play what ever the hell she thought we were asking her to.
Also to play something from your iphone to the homepod through airplay takes some time which is frustrating.
Audio is fine, not a good purchase.
One time me and my wife where just talking inarticulate and siri would play what ever the hell she thought we were asking her to.
Also to play something from your iphone to the homepod through airplay takes some time which is frustrating.
Audio is fine, not a good purchase.
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Not sure how much credence I'd put into what Gruber said since it was almost immediately refuted by Gurman. They're obviously not talking to the same people.
I don't understand the appeal of Apple HomePod, I mean yes its good for music but if I want to know something them I have Siri on my iPhone and iMac, why do I need to spend $499AU on something I have, i'd rather get the Google or Amazon ones at a fraction of the price to give me an alternative to Siri.
That said if they had a sub $50AU HomePod Lite I'd get one tomorrow.
Apple is missing a huge opportunity here and being left behind when it come to this next big tech.
That said if they had a sub $50AU HomePod Lite I'd get one tomorrow.
Apple is missing a huge opportunity here and being left behind when it come to this next big tech.
The Xeo 2. But there are much more models. have a look at their youtube channel.
before the dynaudio xeo 2 i had a bose, i didnt like the sound. the xeo 2 are crisp, solid and natural. i just plug the xeos into my AV4. thats all. Without an AV4 i have bluetooth support (AAC Codec) i miss nothing for casual music.
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It’s about having a great sounding speaker which can also do things like send messages, take and receive calls and set reminders and make entries in my calendar, hook up to my Apple TV and has the added bonus of being able to find my other apple devices if I cant remember where I’ve put them at home.
What are you trying to accomplish in HA that’s problematic? I use it as a bridge between HomePod and non-HomeKit compatible devices and it works beautifully.
Yes, at time of purchase, this may be true, but a Smart Speaker is a very different device than a phone that you might replace every 2 to 3 years. The HomePod will live on for 5, 6, 10 years... and continue to improve through software updates. Siri will get WAY smarter over time. I think they are just being very cautious right now because of the learning capabilities. If they are not careful, too much input from several family members can compromise the quality of the output for everyone. I firmly believe this is why they are being careful with how much HomePod can do right now via Siri. It will get better, at no extra cost to owners.
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Thank you for adding the qualifiers about language. My personal experience of Apple Maps GPS in Canada is excellent, even better than Google Maps. I much prefer Apple Maps' lane guidance, continual updates, etc. Every time I use Google Maps for the same journey, I'm left baffled by the experience. Google Maps does often give more logical directions, but I'm talking about the behaviour in terms of verbal feedback being better with Apple Maps.
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I believe Apple is being very cautious, and not in a rush. They are in it for the long haul, not short-term rewards like companies that throw tech into the marketplace and hope some of it sticks. Just like Mac vs Windows, and iOS vs Android, HomePod will come out on top in terms of a premium experience.... eventually.
For many years, it seems that Apple has been dragging its heals in many areas, neglecting products and certain areas of its software, but I think a tidal wave of change is brewing and will once again elevate Apple to the top of the pile, with other companies aiming to emulate them. But that's for me to believe. It's called faith, and patience.
As a speaker it's totally useless because it is limited to being a siri accessory. You can't connect it to your TV, game console, etc. If you want a quality speaker, you can literally have two sonos speakers for less money. Or a nice soundbar. For 2 homepods you get into home theatre system range. Nobody who wants quality sound would buy a homepod.
As a smart device, it is also totally useless. Alexa and and Google Home are 1000 times better than Siri and their speakers are 1/10th the price of homepod.
That leaves the potential customer pool as people who are such hardcore Apple Fans they will pay 10 times as much for siri as they would for another assistant. Hence 4% market share.
As a smart device, it is also totally useless. Alexa and and Google Home are 1000 times better than Siri and their speakers are 1/10th the price of homepod.
That leaves the potential customer pool as people who are such hardcore Apple Fans they will pay 10 times as much for siri as they would for another assistant. Hence 4% market share.
I wanted to push it and see what it gave back. I was stunned it answered that. Only downside, it’s not an Alexa issue, it’s a Sonos issue, they don’t allow the ability to change the wake name from “Alexa.”
^^This^^
I bought an early one, but got rid of it once I found that it would do NOTHING w/o paying Apple money each month, and it still wouldn't do what I wanted it to do (listen to local radio and audio books). My Echos do all that and more--for no additional money.
Epic FAIL on Apple's part.
I agree with your examples of real-world tasks — and I can only share my final experience that made me give upon Siri for such things. I share it as a specific example, and not a generic “Siri sucks” comment.
The scene: In my car on the way home after being delayed at work. My wife’s name is, let’s say, Valerie Smith. She is in my contacts and our relationship is defined there..
Me: “Text Valerie Smith, ‘I am finally on my way home.’”
Siri: “I’m sorry, I don’t know Valerie Smith.” ( or words to that effect)
Me (enunciating): “Text Valerie Smith, ‘I am finally on my way home.’”
Siri: “I’m sorry, I don’t know Valerie Smith.”
Me: “Text my wife, ‘I am finally on my way home.”
Siri:”Texting Valerie Smith...”
This is the sort of brain-dead, counterintuitive stuff that makes people write Siri off, I think.. The contact was there, Siri knew the relationship, and once I said “wife”, Siri knew her name — but she couldn’t find her if I stated the name directly.
I’m just sharing an experience, YMMV.
Not sure how much credence I'd put into what Gruber said since it was almost immediately refuted by Gurman. They're obviously not talking to the same people.
Gruber seems to have inside knowledge, though of course perfectly possible that he has been misinformed.
I have echos and homepods. HomePod seems far better at hearing and understanding than Alexa. Alexa seems to think I am talking to her much more frequently when I am not. Neither are free from either of these issues.
I can see where you’re coming from. I assume Apple will allow other apps at some point that will allow the playing of other music. I don’t have Apple Music, but do pay the annual iTunes Match which gives me access to my entire iTunes library on HomePod. I like the way AirPlay works with HomePod. I was really happy with Amazon Prime Music initially, but have been less impressed with it lately. It seems they are moving more and more things from the included Music to the paid subscription. I also only listen to a few radio stations, and the one I listen to the most was moved to another app and no longer available on Echo. I can airplay it from the app on my iPhone to my HomePod. So I don’t see it as an Epic fail, but it does have a few shortcomings.
None of the available smart speakers is an ideal package for everyone and all have their pros and cons.
I love the HomePod design and the sound, but it's too dumb and too expensive. No headphone jack to make it easier to connect other kinds of devices. I have a small Bose speaker that works just fine. But if the price were lower, I'd seriously consider the HomePod for either myself or a present for someone.
So a gimmicky $35 stocking stuffer outsold arguably the best sounding wireless home speaker that costs 10x that?
Are people still arguing over which digital assistant is smarter? Hint: they're all really stupid and do just a few things well, like tell you the weather, set timers, turn on/off lights and play back music (and the latter could use improvement).
Judging by the number of echo/dot and google home products on FB marketplace and ebay, I'm guessing many were purchased as gifts but many people have realized they've no use for them... not unlike the cheap MP3 players back in the day.
Are people still arguing over which digital assistant is smarter? Hint: they're all really stupid and do just a few things well, like tell you the weather, set timers, turn on/off lights and play back music (and the latter could use improvement).
Judging by the number of echo/dot and google home products on FB marketplace and ebay, I'm guessing many were purchased as gifts but many people have realized they've no use for them... not unlike the cheap MP3 players back in the day.
Even if Siri has improved—and improves further—I can’t utter it’s name. It made a lasting impression on me that Apple would literally have to change Siri’s name and make me think it’s an entirely new product, which would probably be a wise marketing move eventually.
I got the HomePod during Black Friday sale for $249 which is not a bad price given the fantastic sound quality. I do hope next iOS version will allow me to equalize it with a bit less base like a lot of people have mentioned. However given the fantastic sound I am sure this can be done with software upgrade. Same with Siri, it can be improved with software upgrade. The sound quality is more hardware based so I cant overstate how happy I am with that. I might buy a second one down the line to get stereo in my bedroom, far from the main stereo in my living room.
Personally I have more issues with Siri in my car vs using my HomePod. Although for the HomePod 99% of my request are music related which she handles just fine. in the car though is a completely different story. Still waiting for her to enable me to drive and not even have to think about sending her requests she can understand!
Personally I have more issues with Siri in my car vs using my HomePod. Although for the HomePod 99% of my request are music related which she handles just fine. in the car though is a completely different story. Still waiting for her to enable me to drive and not even have to think about sending her requests she can understand!