HomePod Holds Estimated 70% Share of Growing $200+ Smart Speaker Market

[Baymowe335]

Yes, Apple's support is superior.

Yes, iOS and Android is a differentiating factor and if you are into Samsung/Android stuff, Note 9 might be somewhat more appealing.

Well, I wrote 90% for $200 and I think that is reasonable. 90% of the stuff people do on there phone is calling/messaging, media consumption (some videos, music), social media, browsing the internet and casual taking pictures. A phone for $200 will easily do that.

The +5% for $300 will get some casual gaming and slight boost in all of the above.

For $500 you get +4% like mobile payment features (Apple Pay and clones), better quality of camera (probably dual camera), wireless charging and maybe water resistance.

And everything above that is niche features such as good AR, awesome screen, awesome camera etc.

Value is personal. For me, the iPhone Camera might be like a 25% if I can leave my DSLR at home. A $300 phone isn't going to approach the quality of an iPhone XS, so I'd have to bring my camera.

Simply having a web browser, camera, and gaming doesn't mean anything. If the browser is a pain to use, they aren't on equal playing fields. If the phone is sluggish, glitchy, and constantly force closes apps, that's not a level playing field.

Support, software, services are worth way more than 5% to me. Maybe 25%. Camera maybe 25%. The A11/A12 chips help with every task, maybe worth 20%. Add it up and the $300 phone might be 30% of the phone I wanted. At that point, the phone is not something I want to use.

 

[Abazigal]

Comparing a midpriced bag to Louis Vuitton and a budget model to the iPhone is a valid comparison. Not comparing bags to phones. LOL.

As you say the more pricey is better in some areas but you get 99% of the utility from the cheaper alternative too. Thus in that sense the per use cost is still much lower for the budget version.

Isn’t that the idea behind diminishing returns?

It’s not expensive to make a basic android smartphone these days. 1080 display, 4 gb ram, snapdragon processor, slap them all in a case. Hardware has been pretty much commoditised at this point.

The challenge comes when it comes to refinements that involve tight integration between hardware and software. They are expensive to implement, may yield fairly marginal improvements, and are absolutely a delight to use for those willing to pay for this. You don’t see any other company coming out with their own version of custom processors, or W1 chip, or force touch, for one very simple reason - they simply don’t have the resources for this - and so can only play to the lowest common denominator, by pumping hardware specs to compensate.

Not to mention that android seems to have all but given up in every other area, from tablets to smart watches.

Nothing wrong with that, but I want more and more importantly, am willing to pay for more (of what I want).

Apple’s ability to integrate everything together to offer that unique user experience that no other company can. I can use Apple Pay and stream music from my Apple Watch, airdrop video files to my MacBook Air, teach in class with my iPad mirrored to the projector screen via an Apple TV precisely because Apple makes everything and so is in a position to make them all play well together.

That’s what I am (willing to) paying for. The whole integrated user experience.

And to all iPhone users out there - screw what the haters say about the latest iPhones being overpriced. If you want one, just go ahead and get one. Wear the label “Apple Sheep” as a badge of honour, not a brand of shame. Everyone keeps saying “vote with your wallets”, let us do just that.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

till the $1000+ slice becomes the fully ignorable piece of the whole SmartPhone market, i.e. less than 0.1%. And, that day will come very very soon, before any analyzer that FOCUS ONLY ON financial effects could wake up to it.

And then, let me guess...

Apple will be going out of business soon after that, right?
[doublepost=1540242000][/doublepost]

What a BS!!!! HomePod holds 100% of Apple's smart speaker market. I have Sonos with Alexa and it works flawlessly. I have no need for another paper weight from Apple.

So if you are happy with your Cyber Mata-Hari, Alexa, then why are you posting in this thread?
[doublepost=1540243067][/doublepost]

Homepod is not as good as non "smart" speakers of the same price. This is a given.
Homepod assistant is not as good as other "smart" speaker assistants. This is a given.
The vast majority of Homepod buyers will no doubt not have a clue when it comes to sound quality, only that it "is loud, and sounds good". Which is perfectly fine, but you can't use the sound quality argument when the vast majority of people couldn't tell you what was best in a blind test.

You are forgetting the in-depth audio analysis that compared the HomePod favorably to a $1000 KEF speaker.
[doublepost=1540243405][/doublepost]

If you want real good av sound, go Bose

No comment.
[doublepost=1540244031][/doublepost]

The increased margin will mitigate a shrinking customer base (which tbh is still very big and rich). Although stock valuation suggest a long-term growth of 9-10%, which is not possible with the products they are putting out nowadays.

The strategy is opposed to what Tim Cook is saying is to make Apple a high-end brand. They are on the way of becoming the Louis Vitton of phones basically.

Except that they just released a budget phone, which appears to be enjoying wild success.
[doublepost=1540244421][/doublepost]

People do care about expandable storage because most would rather not pay for extra internal storage which is why the base model of phones is usually one of the most popular.

I have never understood the position of Fandroids that continuously whine about having to have an adapter to use analog headphones with an iPhone, because "What happens when you LOSE the adapter?", and YET, those same people want to haul around REMOVABLE (and thus LOSE-ABLE!) SD cards with possibly PRIVATE and IRREPLACEABLE personal photos, music and documents on them.

Who wants that?!?

 

[Shanghaichica]

And then, let me guess...

Apple will be going out of business soon after that, right?
[doublepost=1540242000][/doublepost]
So if you are happy with your Cyber Mata-Hari, Alexa, then why are you posting in this thread?
[doublepost=1540243067][/doublepost]
You are forgetting the in-depth audio analysis that compared the HomePod favorably to a $1000 KEF speaker.
[doublepost=1540243405][/doublepost]
No comment.
[doublepost=1540244031][/doublepost]
Except that they just released a budget phone, which appears to be enjoying wild success.
[doublepost=1540244421][/doublepost]
I have never understood the position of Fandroids that continuously whine about having to have an adapter to use analog headphones with an iPhone, because "What happens when you LOSE the adapter?", and YET, those same people want to haul around REMOVABLE (and thus LOSE-ABLE!) SD cards with possibly PRIVATE and IRREPLACEABLE personal photos, music and documents on them.

Who wants that?!?

Well I’ve never lost the adapter because I’ve never used it. I use my AirPods or the lightning headphones.

I’ve lost an SD card before. Sold and old Samsung phone and left it inside because I forgot it was there. Luckily all the pictures were backed up to google docs and the music was saved on my computer. So no I didn’t loose anything and there were no sensitive photos or documents on them but I wasn’t happy.

So whilst I personally prefer to use internal storage I know a lot of people like and use SD cards because it allows them to have more storage space at a cheaper price.

Not sure why you quoted my post and started talking about fabdroids and dongles though.

 

[The Game 161]

Price is why.

I love my two HomePods but the google mini is used everyday too

Beauty of both

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Well I’ve never lost the adapter because I’ve never used it. I use my AirPods or the lightning headphones.

I’ve lost an SD card before. Sold and old Samsung phone and left it inside because I forgot it was there. Luckily all the pictures were backed up to google docs and the music was saved on my computer. So no I didn’t loose anything and there were no sensitive photos or documents on them but I wasn’t happy.

So whilst I personally prefer to use internal storage I know a lot of people like and use SD cards because it allows them to have more storage space at a cheaper price.

Not sure why you quoted my post and started talking about fabdroids and dongles though.

Because you mentioned expanding storage with SD cards; which is a TERRIBLE idea overall, especially if you want to carry-around all those lose-able cards with you.

And your story proves exactly why. You were lucky to have a backup (good for you, BTW!); but many (most) people are not so well-prepared...

 

[HacKage]

And then, let me guess...

Apple will be going out of business soon after that, right?
[doublepost=1540242000][/doublepost]
So if you are happy with your Cyber Mata-Hari, Alexa, then why are you posting in this thread?
[doublepost=1540243067][/doublepost]
You are forgetting the in-depth audio analysis that compared the HomePod favorably to a $1000 KEF speaker.
[doublepost=1540243405][/doublepost]
No comment.
[doublepost=1540244031][/doublepost]
Except that they just released a budget phone, which appears to be enjoying wild success.
[doublepost=1540244421][/doublepost]
I have never understood the position of Fandroids that continuously whine about having to have an adapter to use analog headphones with an iPhone, because "What happens when you LOSE the adapter?", and YET, those same people want to haul around REMOVABLE (and thus LOSE-ABLE!) SD cards with possibly PRIVATE and IRREPLACEABLE personal photos, music and documents on them.

Who wants that?!?

1 man on twitter comparing them to a 5 year old pair of Kef speakers that reviews say "lack punch and dynamics". I stick by what I said.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

1 man on twitter comparing them to a 5 year old pair of Kef speakers that reviews say "lack punch and dynamics". I stick by what I said.

Funny.

Nobody that I have seen has posted a review of the HomePod saying those same SUBJECTIVE things. I couldn't give a **** less what some self-appointed AudioPILE thinks. And that AudioPILE was comparing those diminutive KEFs with WHAT, exactly?

I was actually pointing to the OBJECTIVE tests he performed with the well-known and most-excellent audio analysis package, REW, and their recommended calibrated microphone setup. Truth be told, I really don't care that HE compared the HomePod favorably with his KEFs. All I care about are the NUMBERS, which look pretty damned good, especially for such a small (and relatively inexpensive (by AudioPILE standards)) speaker system.

Argue with them all you want. Caution: The entire intarwebs will disagree...

https://www.roomeqwizard.com/

 

[Coconut Bean]

Except that they just released a budget phone, which appears to be enjoying wild success

Do you mean iPhone XR?
Since when is $750 budget.

Do you mean iPhone 7.
I know, it's only years old yay.

 

[I7guy]

...I have never understood the position of Fandroids that continuously whine about having to have an adapter to use analog headphones with an iPhone, because "What happens when you LOSE the adapter?", and YET, those same people want to haul around REMOVABLE (and thus LOSE-ABLE!) SD cards with possibly PRIVATE and IRREPLACEABLE personal photos, music and documents on them.

Who wants that?!?

What an astute observation.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Do you mean iPhone XR?
Since when is $750 budget.

Do you mean iPhone 7.
I know, it's only years old yay.

I meant the XR. They obviously didn't JUST RELEASE the iPhone 7.

And $750 is "budget" when it is at least 25% lower in price than your Flagship model, but still has 98% of the same hardware and 100% of the CPU/GPU/RF performance.
[doublepost=1540488194][/doublepost]

What an astute observation.

I'm sorry; was there a missing /Sarcasm tag, or a genuine compliment? The intarwebs make it so hard to tell!

 

[I7guy]

I meant the XR. They obviously didn't JUST RELEASE the iPhone 7.

And $750 is "budget" when it is at least 25% lower in price than your Flagship model, but still has 98% of the same hardware and 100% of the CPU/GPU/RF performance.
[doublepost=1540488194][/doublepost]
I'm sorry; was there a missing /Sarcasm tag, or a genuine compliment? The intarwebs make it so hard to tell!

The reply was genuine. I meant the reply as a great observation, such a perfect response to the “dongle must go” crowd.

 

[HacKage]

Funny.

Nobody that I have seen has posted a review of the HomePod saying those same SUBJECTIVE things. I couldn't give a **** less what some self-appointed AudioPILE thinks. And that AudioPILE was comparing those diminutive KEFs with WHAT, exactly?

I was actually pointing to the OBJECTIVE tests he performed with the well-known and most-excellent audio analysis package, REW, and their recommended calibrated microphone setup. Truth be told, I really don't care that HE compared the HomePod favorably with his KEFs. All I care about are the NUMBERS, which look pretty damned good, especially for such a small (and relatively inexpensive (by AudioPILE standards)) speaker system.

Argue with them all you want. Caution: The entire intarwebs will disagree...

https://www.roomeqwizard.com/

I haven't once denied that the Homepod is a good speaker for what it is, but it is not comparable to good standalone speakers. This is facts. Comparing them to expensive, not very good speakers is an easy way to get the "Better than $999 speakers" headlines though. For 90% of people, the Homepod is enough speaker for them, and is probably the best speaker they have heard. I just have issue with the reporting that is meant to give the impression that it beats all speakers, and ones that are 3x the price when this is not the case.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

I haven't once denied that the Homepod is a good speaker for what it is, but it is not comparable to good standalone speakers. This is facts. Comparing them to expensive, not very good speakers is an easy way to get the "Better than $999 speakers" headlines though. For 90% of people, the Homepod is enough speaker for them, and is probably the best speaker they have heard. I just have issue with the reporting that is meant to give the impression that it beats all speakers, and ones that are 3x the price when this is not the case.

I don't think anyone with half an ear would say "It beats ALL speakers". For instance, it is pretty deficient below 50 Hz or so (big surprise!).

But, it does stack up nicely against the competition, at least as far as sound-quality. And the REW-based numbers OBJECTIVELY prove that.