If I had to guess, I’d say it’s probably on more like a four year update cycle. The hardware is pretty good; improvements to Siri, and support for Spotify and others (coming shortly), will be most welcome though.
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HomePod Launches in Japan and Taiwan [Updated]
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I’ve long expected a HomePod/Apple Music bundle. Apple TV HD hardware with Apple TV+ too.
I could see HomePod/Apple TV hardware bundled with Apple Music/Apple TV+ for $24.99/month for a 24 month commitment, or maybe $19.99/mo. for 36 months. At the end of the term, the hardware is yours and the monthly drops to $9.99.
I still don't know how Homepods exactly work, so let me ask a few questions.
1) Will this speakers work with iTunes Match as well as with Apple Music? Because all my music is in the cloud of iTunes. And for that matter, will I be able to use it as a sounds output for all the music I listen to on my iPhone? Even YouYube audio? Thank you.
2) I have a high quality analog music equipment from the late 70s, with LP player and cassette tape player, and an amplifier with an analog equalizer. All the connections are RCA, as any stereo speaker, with the left and right channels (red and black wires). My question is, is there any device that may allow me to connect this with a pair of Homepods? Use them as wireless speakers for this analog HiFi set up. Provided that Homepods only work via AirPlay, maybe there's a device that allow me to stream the analog output to an Airplay device.
3) if number 2 is impossible, would it be easier with a Sonos set-up? Or I will face the same problem? I'm interested mainly because both Homepods and Sonos speakers are wireless and have great quality of sound, and I don't know any other speaker brand that makes high quality Bluetooth/wireless speakers, to connect this analog equipment via a small conversor (analog-to-Bluetooth/wireless transmitter) without too much quality loss. Thank you again.
1) Will this speakers work with iTunes Match as well as with Apple Music? Because all my music is in the cloud of iTunes. And for that matter, will I be able to use it as a sounds output for all the music I listen to on my iPhone? Even YouYube audio? Thank you.
2) I have a high quality analog music equipment from the late 70s, with LP player and cassette tape player, and an amplifier with an analog equalizer. All the connections are RCA, as any stereo speaker, with the left and right channels (red and black wires). My question is, is there any device that may allow me to connect this with a pair of Homepods? Use them as wireless speakers for this analog HiFi set up. Provided that Homepods only work via AirPlay, maybe there's a device that allow me to stream the analog output to an Airplay device.
3) if number 2 is impossible, would it be easier with a Sonos set-up? Or I will face the same problem? I'm interested mainly because both Homepods and Sonos speakers are wireless and have great quality of sound, and I don't know any other speaker brand that makes high quality Bluetooth/wireless speakers, to connect this analog equipment via a small conversor (analog-to-Bluetooth/wireless transmitter) without too much quality loss. Thank you again.
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The Japanese and Chinese versions of Siri were launched in 2012.
I acutely use mine daily for listening to music while working, and use the app Airfoil to broadcast Spotify or other apps directly to it, also use it a lot for calender/reminders for work or call conferences with clients - it's like having a assistant, but just digital a digital one
. But the main reason I got one, was for Siri to control my homekit devices, since I found it's built-in mics being much better at hearing than the iPhone/iPad, also it's range to catch speech is quite impressive.
Apple now sells the HomePod in the United States, United Kingdom, ....
Sells? Well...
I bought one in Germany because it is not available in The Netherlands. It is my least favorite Apple product. The sound is not that great. I am comparing it with Sonos Play 5 (2nd gen) and it is much better speaker in every regard. According to The Verge, the Homepod sounds better. Hell no!
Sells? Well...
I bought one in Germany because it is not available in The Netherlands. It is my least favorite Apple product. The sound is not that great. I am comparing it with Sonos Play 5 (2nd gen) and it is much better speaker in every regard. According to The Verge, the Homepod sounds better. Hell no!
It's not a review, it's an opinion. I don't own one but I know someone who does, and it's great.
I’d agree, hardware updates aren’t going to be often for the HomePod. Probably even less often than the Apple TV. Any hardware limitations it has was probably done intentionally. Not sure what else it could improve on other than connectivity standard upgrades which come pretty infrequently. However, Apple may soon release different versions of the HomePod (eg. smaller and bigger) to expand the HomePod lineup.
Why does Apple sell the HomePod in Germany but not in Austria? It's not as if they speak a different language... even though it sometimes sounds like it.
Seeing as how Siri voice recognition is used to control HomePod, I think you just answered your own question.
I never really understood Apples rollout strategy here ... I live in Netherlands and had to drive 2 hours to the Apple Store in Cologne Germany to buy my 2 HomePods that are in stereo and play all my apple tv / Plex / Netflix / Amazon content in my opinion it sounds great (but l am no sound expert and if you ask my wife she constantly tells me I am deaf). Not sure why Apple are reluctant to sell it elsewhere in the EU being its the same plug and all. However I rarely use the Siri function on it. My only gripe is the Apple TV doesn't keep the HomePod as the default audio I have to keep selecting it if Apple TV is restarted or sleeps. It was a cheaper alternative than buying a new amp after my old one of 10 years died.
I replaced all my 5 Sonos and replaced them with HomePods. I've never regretted it. EQ? 80s?
So I have to buy a product or my opinion of it is worthless? Sure. Whatever. I'm not looking for an argument. I think it's a great product. You're free to disagree if you wish.
I did not. Like I said, the same language is spoken in both countries, German.
I feel your pain... it constantly surprises me that, in eighteen months, they haven't fixed this one basic flaw . The sound quality is glorious, though...
No line in, no Spotify (Although I'm definitely not a Spotify fan), issues with privacy (I hear the thing can't figure out the difference between its owner's voice and anybody else's voice), the bloody AC cable is stuck and not removable... And also the fact that competitors offer comparable features for muuuuch less. I'm an early Apple Watch buyer and to me, both products are very different because the HomePod is half baked and the Apple Watch never was. Today, even Version 2 would be below the market's expectations, I advise them guys to already skip to version 3.
Anybody remembers this big, bulky white sound bar, that was introduced by Steve Jobs, onto which we were supposed to stick an iPod (30 pin plug, at the time)? What was it called? It failed miserably and for good reasons. To me, the current HomePod inherited from it. Same sense of wrong timing and wrong casting
Anybody remembers this big, bulky white sound bar, that was introduced by Steve Jobs, onto which we were supposed to stick an iPod (30 pin plug, at the time)? What was it called? It failed miserably and for good reasons. To me, the current HomePod inherited from it. Same sense of wrong timing and wrong casting
That’s not a HomePod problem, it’s a tvOS problem. I have my HomePod selected as an AirPlay source from my Mac and it stays connected until I disconnect it.
Apple made some big changes to the way AirPlay is selected in the latest tvOS coming out this fall. I have the beta, I’ll see if they fixed this.
We've got three in the house now - primary use for all of them is listening to radio stations and music - and they're really great for that purpose. They get used almost all day every day by different members of the family.
Apple definitely missed a trick by not having any input/output ports on them. I'd really like to see them create a wider range of these - smaller, cheaper ones and more fully featured ones. Sadly I can't see them doing that and its more likely they'll can the product entirely, but that would be a shame.
The AC cord IS removable... I knocked my HomePod off its perch and the AC cable came straight out... very proprietary socket, though.
Were you able to plug it back in ?
I may understand it when they put proprietary formats and shapes into key technologies. I may. But we're talking about an AC cord. And this is beyond me.
I forgot: no battery. Means strings attached. No wonder it sells poorly.