HomePod Firmware Reveals Further Details on Apple's Smart Speaker

[Reason077]

iPad sales keep shrinking — down another 20 percent - January 31, 2017

Seven Years Ago Today: Steve Jobs Introduces the iPad - January 27, 2017

The problem the iPad has is that it's market is getting squeezed from both ends. On one hand, iPhones have gotten bigger screens, faster CPUs, etc. On the other, laptops (MacBooks!) have gotten smaller and lighter. Plus there's a bit of competition now from Microsoft and the like...

 

[Mascots]

The reason why Apple doesn't break out numbers is to avoid giving numbers to the competition. Competitors can't say "Apple is selling lots of watches, let's copy that", or "Apple isn't selling lots of watches, don't bother making a watch".

That's exactly it, I agree!

But to use it as an excuse to say it isn't selling well is pretty ridiculous IMO. That's the point that i was trying to get to

 

[Abazigal]

[doublepost=1501396080][/doublepost]

I do agree in someway. iPad mini is dead. That's Tim Cook's idea when it first came out. Apple Watch marketing is a mess. Look at iPhone now. What on earth throwing out another premier phone at the same time with the "S" models? They should just concentrate with the "S" models instead.

My guess is that Apple simply can't get enough OLED displays to go all in on iPhone 8. So what do you do when you have limited quantities of what will be the most sought-after iPhone in the market? You price it at what you think the market can bear.

 

[Bacillus]

My guess is that Apple simply can't get enough OLED displays to go all in on iPhone 8. So what do you do when you have limited quantities of what will be the most sought-after iPhone in the market? You price it at what you think the market can bear.

Ah, sounds plausible - as that's the more sensible Cookamania today.
A normal person (no, not Steve, but anyone with 1/100.000 His guts feeling) would have developed his own superior screen technology over the last 5 years - smashing his greatest competitor instead of begging them for enough yield.
And if so, at least secure the right amounts to be made - to prevent your customers from freaking out of embarassment.
We don't need a provisioning genius, but an average+ at the right spot instead of a money-raker at the wrong one...

 

[Abazigal]

This might have been buried under all the posts, so let me post it again.

https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2017/6/14/homepod

Some possible theories on what Apple's long term game plan is with the homepod.

I think it's increasingly clear that after taking out all the petty insults and name calling and superficial analysis, you realise that the posters here can only carry the conversation so far due to our own limited insight and perspective. I find it particularly ironic, especially since it is those who claim to be longtime followers of Apple that evidently misunderstand Apple the most.

Here's some additional information which can hopefully help spur and promote more meaningful discussion.

 

[Abazigal]

Ah, that's the mere sensible Cookamania today.
A normal person (no, not Steve, but anyone with 1/100.000 His guts feeling) would have developed his own screen technology over the last 5 years or changed ship only after making sure the right amounts could be made. We need a provisioning genius...

Even Steve Jobs didn't have to deal with the manufacturing scale that Apple operates at today. Who's to say that Steve Jobs would not have done what Tim Cook is doing now?

 

[GadgetBen]

I'm still confused by the HomePod. I'm sure it's a lovely piece of hardware. But they support Sonos in their stores, open up Apple Music to Sonos - and then stop the integration and leave it in the air..... and then launch their own single speaker. Is it a personal assistant, or a single hit music speaker? The whole Sonos / Apple / HomePod area is still unclear to me. I think, these days, people have a mix of sources, Spotify, Amazon, radio feeds, Mixcloud, Soundcloud, Apple Music etc... but I don't see the HomePod having that diverse community of audio sources.

Or have I missed something?

Me too. I have Sonos which is a great speaker. I don't need a new speaker with Siri and a very poor screen. I have Siri on my phone and it's highly frustrating to use.

 

[Bacillus]

Even Steve Jobs didn't have to deal with the manufacturing scale that Apple operates at today. Who's to say that Steve Jobs would not have done what Tim Cook is doing now?

I was not talking about Steve.
But considering his thermo-nuclear warfare with Samsung, chances are little.
You might revise your own limited perspectives instead of bemoaning others (...)
But it might add to your respect if you can mention anyone (incl. or excl. Steve) that would so embarassingly lament their own screen tech. development in the last 5 years as much as Cook/Schiller/Ive did.

 

[vatter69]

What i fail to understand is, why Apple doesnt step up it's Siri game. Siri in essence is still totally stupid. If your question or query doesn't fit into its pre-programmed schedule, it starts with unreliable web searches. It's also totally unaware of worldwide events like football worldcups etc.

If Apple invested some billions into AI and actually turned Siri into something more capable than 'sorry i dont know who Trump is - want me to google that for you?' I could see a point in Homepod.

As it stands - i seriously doubt it will replace my 5.1 setup (and most peoples setup either) at 350$ before tax.

At least Alexa can order crap directly from Amazon and has 3rd party Api at half the price.

Hurts me to say but this device is a failure for my usage.

 

[chineseguy38]

My guess is that Apple simply can't get enough OLED displays to go all in on iPhone 8. So what do you do when you have limited quantities of what will be the most sought-after iPhone in the market? You price it at what you think the market can bear.

This's another failure you are talking about. How come it does not affect other phone manufactures? I hate to say that and I'm not a big fan, Samsung is doing fine with theirs when it comes to quantity OLED screen supply.

 

[Abazigal]

This's another failure you are talking about. How come it does not affect other phone manufactures? I hate to say that and I'm not a big fan, Samsung is doing fine with theirs when it comes to quantity OLED screen supply.

Because Samsung has their own production facilities, and Samsung can afford to do this because they are also in the business of selling components to other companies. Apple doesn't, and so it doesn't make financial sense to buy your own factories. I don't see it as a failure on Apple's part. Each simply has their own strengths and weaknesses.

 

[matrix07]

You also wouldn't expect those obsessive about Samsungs' copying "tradition" and Apple's own screen technology, to follow Samsung and have their screen production laid in the hands of Samsung and/or OLED technology "derived" from it.
So I think Ive should be awarded for that Whyd design (he's so incredbile, he still found time to do the ApplePark trees during the Whyd ripoff...)

OK. It's clear you've come here to troll, so goodbye.

 

[Bacillus]

OK. It's clear you've come here to troll, so goodbye.

https://www.cnet.com/news/oled-displays-theyre-awful-says-apples-ceo/

 

[chineseguy38]

Because Samsung has their own production facilities, and Samsung can afford to do this because they are also in the business of selling components to other companies. Apple doesn't, and so it doesn't make financial sense to buy your own factories. I don't see it as a failure on Apple's part. Each simply has their own strengths and weaknesses.

If Apple under Steve Jobs, I'm sure Apple will be in a much better position. He always had a vision to create something people will want to buy. But under Tim Cook, Apple is playing catch.

 

[randolorian]

Why did Apple release the firmware for an unreleased product?

 

[Kabeyun]

they still haven't gotten Apple Music right. It still ruins your iTunes library. No thanks. Google Play Music/YouTube Red and Google Home work fine. Will never touch Apple Music again, tried twice and both times obliterated my library. Amazing they don't mention it much less fix it. Apple software is horrible.

You're confused, conflating Apple Music with iCloud Music library/iTunes Match. I love Apple Music (a streaming and music discovery service with a huge library of titles and a family plan so we all can play whatever we want, even obscure songs, whenever we want) but I won't let them touch my personal library.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

you think that those 24M users will not grow?

Did I say that? No, I did not. How you infer that I can't say. What I said was... pay attention here because it's important.... The already installed iOS base is 5x bigger than the AM base. Typically companies that already have an installed base go after that market as the primary and then the next demo as the secondary.

Homekit is a potentially much bigger market than AM. AM in HomePod, in fact, is a slice that speakers Homkit functionality, just as Amazon Music is s slice of Echo's smart home functions. Amazon's MO in launching Echo/Alexa was not to sell more Amazon Music subscriptions or make a device for AM music subscribers. Echo/Alexa exists to capture more Amazon customers no matter which of Amazon's products and services they want to use. The same is true of Apple.

 

[Thunderhawks]

While HomePod sounds Good but if it's only exclusively [supports] Apple Music? it will be a downside for me. As i also use other Music Services like Spotify!

Edit :- Apple should add support for all Music Platforms

They will. Gen 2 or 3 plus battery

 

[Abazigal]

If Apple under Steve Jobs, I'm sure Apple will be in a much better position. He always had a vision to create something people will want to buy. But under Tim Cook, Apple is playing catch.

Catch up to whom, specifically?

The wearables market, where Jawbone is folding, Pebble sold to Fitbit (who isn't doing so great themselves) and Android Wear is nowhere to be seen?

The AR market, whom Apple is set to leapfrog come iOS 11?

The music streaming market, where the incumbent, Spotify, has yet to turn a profit?

Who exactly is Apple lagging behind in again?

 

[jclardy]

Ah, sounds plausible - as that's the more sensible Cookamania today.
A normal person (no, not Steve, but anyone with 1/100.000 His guts feeling) would have developed his own superior screen technology over the last 5 years - smashing his greatest competitor instead of begging them for enough yield.
And if so, at least secure the right amounts to be made - to prevent your customers from freaking out of embarassment.
We don't need a provisioning genius, but an average+ at the right spot instead of a money-raker at the wrong one...

Yeah...that isn't how technology works. OLED has been in the works since the 80's. You don't just create a new display technology that can be mass produced at iPhone scale in 5 years. Even the research behind LCD's dates back to the late 1800's.

 

[cgsnipinva]

Ah, sounds plausible - as that's the more sensible Cookamania today.
A normal person (no, not Steve, but anyone with 1/100.000 His guts feeling) would have developed his own superior screen technology over the last 5 years - smashing his greatest competitor instead of begging them for enough yield.
And if so, at least secure the right amounts to be made - to prevent your customers from freaking out of embarassment.
We don't need a provisioning genius, but an average+ at the right spot instead of a money-raker at the wrong one...

The problem is even if you developed your own super screen technology --- you would need someone to manufacture it and that means someone in the existing manufacturing base. You are constrained by that. A contract manufacturer would have to sacrifice production runs on more commonly existing technology for a boutique run for one manufacturer. That won't happen.

If Apple did develop their own super duper screen technology -they would have to buy a manufacturer or build out their own screen fabrication plants. Not easy to do.

 

[dannys1]

HomePod is not a better speaker that other products, and not a btter home assistant thatn other products. It's not better at anything, not when it comes to technolgy and not when it comes to usabailty.

1. You've never heard it.
2. You've never used it.

So you've plucked two things out of your ass.

3. Everyone so far has said its far better sounding than every other smart speaker on the market (you know, the ones that have actually heard it)

4. Siri is better than Alexa. I think Google now is better than Alexa too, but id rather not have Google anything in my house. Siri is also better than Cortana.

Alexa has very basic specific phrase recognition compared to Siri. With Hue you can ask Siri 4-5 different ways to turn lights on, with Alexa you have to say a very specific phrase. Alexa is more like last gen speech recognition where it hears what you say but you have to say the exact phrase to get it to respond.

I expect it'll sound better than Sonos though i'm not blown away by them. I really hope it has a revealing, neutral, detailed sound but I think it'll have a boxy, EQ curved, mainstream bluetooth speaker sound unfortunately like Bose, HK, B&W and JBL, who's products all sound terrible to me. If they're to take a true representation of sound like Adam, Sennheiser, KEF or Focal (even if not quite as good) then i'll happily buy two for a room.

 

[Bacillus]

The problem is even if you developed your own super screen technology --- you would need someone to manufacture it and that means someone in the existing manufacturing base. You are constrained by that. A contract manufacturer would have to sacrifice production runs on more commonly existing technology for a boutique run for one manufacturer. That won't happen.
If Apple did develop their own super duper screen technology -they would have to buy a manufacturer or build out their own screen fabrication plants. Not easy to do.

That may be true if you land on the planet and all of a sudden need to service x00 million users.
However, that's not Apple's story. They chose to grow and grow and grow, from an innovative quality house into a mammoth mass corp that cared about scale at cost of everything else.
It's a bad strategy - getting more and more dependent on unreal turnover without being able to scale up critical resources and provisioning at the same rate. But it was a gradual process that they went in consciously.
They vocalized and stressed their own supremacy
(https://www.cnet.com/news/oled-displays-theyre-awful-says-apples-ceo/)
and at various occasions stood out to harvest their screen patents and scale up their own screen tech, but failed miserably.
Now, ending up begging at their competitors' production houses is just so embarassing.
It's too easy to describe that as "anyone has those problems" because it ain't so and one could foresee this happening - especially themselves.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

they still haven't gotten Apple Music right. It still ruins your iTunes library. No thanks. Google Play Music/YouTube Red and Google Home work fine. Will never touch Apple Music again, tried twice and both times obliterated my library. Amazing they don't mention it much less fix it. Apple software is horrible.

I have Google Home and it works very well. I am going to get Google Chromecast audio and plug it into my surround system for big boy sound.

 

[ksnell]

So you say everything Cook releases is vague? You mean like the iPad that's been highly successful with the recent launch back in June, the Apple Watch that's been highly successful, not to mention the best selling smart phone in the world with the iPhone, the AirPods that have been back ordered since last December and have had stellar reviews. Sounds like those vague products are doing very well to me.

Also, does that, shock you that Apple has not released their product first before others? It shouldn't. It Shouldn't be about being the first on the market, it should be about releasing the better product. They always are the last, but they always seem to put out the products that have more unique features. That's what makes Apple products stand out.

The HomePod may not be the first smart speaker/Bluetooth home audio system on the market, but it certainly is going to bring quality sound and will sell out.

Just look at how big of a slice of Apple's business the products you mentioned are and I think that will give you a better idea of how "successful" he has been. Apple makes the majority of its money on iPhones, and Tim Cook has made sure to release at least one iterative model each year. Granted, Steve Jobs is a hard act to follow but I would have expected Tim to bring in other people to help him with the visionary side of things.