Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
HomePod Launched Five Years Ago Today, Faced Several Setbacks Along the Way
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Absolutely. Its just that you talk about Apple's arrogance and Apple being wrong, which makes it harder to have a productive conversation.
Different viewpoints are always valuable, and I appreciate this interaction.
Like many here I have been an Apple customer for a long time and am well aware Apple doesn't always get it right. I know some are fanatical about that sort of thing and will argue the failings were planned or intentional because they can't level any form of criticism, but I like to praise and critque where appropiate. I don't think Apple got their HomePod strategy right when they launched it. I don't think 'arrogance' is an incorrect term as the product was very locked down to proprietary services and for me that was naive of them to assume their users don't use services from other companies. I also don't think a single £350 smart assistant was wise in a market becoming established with £100ish alternatives and they pushed many of their own users towards the likes of Amazon and Google. We all also know how bad Siri is and how little has been invested in it over the last decade and this really should have been addressed before releasing a product that is heavily reliant on it in my opinion.
I think if they had released a HomePod Mini in 2017 without the service restrictions and an improved Siri performance, we'd all know people who had HomePods in their homes right now in 2023. Unfortunately the HomePod is an amazing sounding bad smart assistant, and for many of us, that simply wasn't/isn't good enough.
The problem with the arrogance argument - like with all arguments purporting to know the true motive of another - is that none of us have no way of knowing what Apple's true motivation is and what technical, competitive, and other factors are part of the consideration in this decision.
It's conjecture and adds little of value to any conversation about the product.
If that's happening to you, consider visiting an Apple Store seeking assistance.
My HomePods interpret music requests correctly 99% of the time.
Its my perception, and my points I hope were thought provoking than focusing on the word 'arrogance'. Maybe replace 'arrogance' with 'naivity' in regards to their approach and the points i made are still valid. The value was what was said throughout the post and perhaps you need to look past that.
I agree with the general trend in the comments that not adding another audio source and depending on Airplay only is a serious mistake. I find Airplay to be somewhat capricious and unreliable. it works around 75% of the time, but the times when it does not are infuriating and always interrupt what might have been a perfectly pleasant listening session.
The latest variant of the HomePod are slightly different to the older version with a slightly lifted upper frequency response and lower midrange that gives it a different presence and makes them slightly more forward. Bass is similar (one of the outstanding features of the original HomePod).
I am an audiophile who worked in the industry designing loudspeakers for quite a long time. My listening system is based on Martin Logan SL3s (oldies but goodies) and a Krell amp which I use as my reference (after the demise of my beloved Spendor BC1s). These are incredibly flat and colorless (the midrange and high frequencies are provided via an electrostatic panel for those not familiar with these speakers) and give me a nice reference for my comparisons with the HomePod which do a creditable job of producing a transparent colorless sound.
The HomePod 2 seems a slight step backwards in my opinion but they nevertheless represent amazing value for money but would be so much better if they supported other analogue and/or digital audio inputs instead of just Airplay which ruins their utility. The smart function is a nice add on and the ability to say "Hey Siri, play me some music I like" is really nice, if only it was reliable.....
The latest variant of the HomePod are slightly different to the older version with a slightly lifted upper frequency response and lower midrange that gives it a different presence and makes them slightly more forward. Bass is similar (one of the outstanding features of the original HomePod).
I am an audiophile who worked in the industry designing loudspeakers for quite a long time. My listening system is based on Martin Logan SL3s (oldies but goodies) and a Krell amp which I use as my reference (after the demise of my beloved Spendor BC1s). These are incredibly flat and colorless (the midrange and high frequencies are provided via an electrostatic panel for those not familiar with these speakers) and give me a nice reference for my comparisons with the HomePod which do a creditable job of producing a transparent colorless sound.
The HomePod 2 seems a slight step backwards in my opinion but they nevertheless represent amazing value for money but would be so much better if they supported other analogue and/or digital audio inputs instead of just Airplay which ruins their utility. The smart function is a nice add on and the ability to say "Hey Siri, play me some music I like" is really nice, if only it was reliable.....
lol, wanha & The-Real-Deal82, you both make good points to me. It's like, you are both on the same ship but on different decks. 
It’s not supposed to be a soundbar (hdmi mention).
I don’t see anyone asking that if the Sonos One or Play:5 hmm.
I’m glad Apple decided to bring back the bigger HomePod. Hopefully they don’t neglect the HomePods this time.
