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HomePod Launches February 9, Available to Order Starting Friday in United States, UK, and Australia
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Nice to see Apple doesn’t set this at USD parity. Hopefully a sign of things to come with future releases *cough* iPhone X2£319 in the UK...
Expensive, but I think I might pre-order it
I have tons of homekit devices so I've been waiting for it.
You can use AirPlay with Spotify correct? You can play Spotify through a Bluetooth speaker correct? If you can do either of those things then you can play Spotify from your phone through the speaker. I don't understand why people demand that Apple, who has their own streaming music service, must support all other competing streaming music services in the same way on their high end audio device.
You "hope they work well together" and you're buying three without even knowing?
Interesting
I guess I should be interested in this, but I'm not currently. Big into tech, love my Apple tech and heavily invested in the ecosystem with Apple Music, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. Ive got a man cave that could do with new speakers or a new speaker too.
But there is currently so little information about why this is better than the others. Ive heard its as good as a Sonos Play 1, so I would need to wait and see if its much better than that. We have a number of Sonos speakers around the house and they sound fine really, and homekit support with Airplay 2 is coming soon for them. So I can easily get a stereo pair of Sonos speakers for the price of this Apple speaker and not be locked into just Apple Music. (my wife uses Spotify) The only thing I think this will do better is Siri, but I'm honestly using an Alexa dot to do my smart home control stuff more than Siri these days.
So I don't know, this loks cool, I'm sure it will sound good, and for those with just Apple stuff, it will be nice and easy. But for me its expensive for something that I cant see why its better than other options.. yet
But there is currently so little information about why this is better than the others. Ive heard its as good as a Sonos Play 1, so I would need to wait and see if its much better than that. We have a number of Sonos speakers around the house and they sound fine really, and homekit support with Airplay 2 is coming soon for them. So I can easily get a stereo pair of Sonos speakers for the price of this Apple speaker and not be locked into just Apple Music. (my wife uses Spotify) The only thing I think this will do better is Siri, but I'm honestly using an Alexa dot to do my smart home control stuff more than Siri these days.
So I don't know, this loks cool, I'm sure it will sound good, and for those with just Apple stuff, it will be nice and easy. But for me its expensive for something that I cant see why its better than other options.. yet
About a year too late, and £200 too much. My enthusiasm for the HomePod has fallen off a cliff
Looking forward to checking it out but don’t see the need to preorder before reviews.
Also seems like something that will go on sale eventually at Best Buy etc
Also seems like something that will go on sale eventually at Best Buy etc
And they were right about iPads and smart watches.
My money to Apple is also coming "this year" after the software update.
Wow a expensive boom box but it probably sounds worse.
I will take a home stereo setup any day over that.
I will take a home stereo setup any day over that.
Apple today announced its HomePod speaker will be released on Friday, February 9, with pre-orders beginning this Friday, January 26 via Apple's online store in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Apple added that HomePod will launch in France and Germany at some point "this spring."
HomePod is priced at $349 in the United States. On February 9, the speaker will be available in Apple Stores and at select resellers, including Best Buy in the United States; Argos, Dixons Carphone, John Lewis, Shop Direct, and EE in the UK; and The Good Guys, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Myer, and Telstra in Australia.
Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller:HomePod is a high-fidelity speaker equipped with spatial awareness and Apple-engineered audio technology, including a seven-tweeter array and high-excursion woofer. Powered by Apple's custom A8 chip, the HomePod also serves as a "Hey Siri" assistant and a hub for HomeKit accessories.
More details to follow...
Article Link: HomePod Launches February 9, Available to Order Starting Friday in United States, UK, and Australia
We don't even know it will stream over Bluetooth, they only mention wi-fi on the product page.
And there are Apple Watch models retailing for over a thousand dollars.
What’s your point again?
* Pats Sonos Play 1's * There there, see, nothing to worry about.
Nah, you're just wrong about them. My parents, and everyone in their age group uses an iPad as their only computing device (other than iPhones). They have an important role for many people, and are selling in the tens of millions. The sales guys I manage are moving away from carrying their laptops, and use their iPads almost exclusively as well.
Apple is kind of forced to release HomePod now because they boxed themselves in announcing holiday 2017 release then having to delay it and updating the release to early 2018. They couldn't push it back further or the product would be DOA for sure. As it is now it's a beta product for the extreme fan-boys, the ones that won't buy any other Lighting cable other than Apple's.