Then you should purchase a HomePod as that doesn't occur.
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HomePod Mini Helps Apple Nearly Double Its Market Share of Smart Speakers and Screens
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Then you should purchase a HomePod as that doesn't occur.
Is that not required to create an app for Alexa? Can anyone create an app and you don't have to download/enable it for Alexa? Actually asking.
I wish Apple would have kept their premiere offering while have a "new" entry point. I think once people started discovering what the Mini could do, it may have helped increase HomePod sales.
I picked up a HomePod mini to try it out and I've liked it so far except for one behavior: I find the HomePod to be responding even when I'm asking something of Siri on my iPhone, one or two rooms away from the HomePod. I can't hear the HomePod's response from that distance and half the time it's just complaining because it was a personal request and I don't have those enabled on the HomePod.
Apple documents that in the case of multiple devices the HomePod is going to answer most requests, but if you're making a personal request, multiple devices hear you, and the HomePod has personal requests turned off, it should really let the other device respond.
Also, is HomePod really hearing me over 25' away in a different room, or is the iPhone pushing the request to the HomePod? And if the latter, what's the distance threshold to prevent that?
The workaround is invoking Siri on the iPhone by any method other than saying "Hi Siri".
Apple documents that in the case of multiple devices the HomePod is going to answer most requests, but if you're making a personal request, multiple devices hear you, and the HomePod has personal requests turned off, it should really let the other device respond.
Also, is HomePod really hearing me over 25' away in a different room, or is the iPhone pushing the request to the HomePod? And if the latter, what's the distance threshold to prevent that?
The workaround is invoking Siri on the iPhone by any method other than saying "Hi Siri".
It does analysis locally to determine whether you have said “Hey Siri,” after which it begins recording your request. Nothing before the activation phrase is uttered is recorded or sent. (This is also the case for Google and Amazon smart speakers.)
If you’re concerned about accidental activations, they’re certainly rare in my experience, but if one does happen you’re able to stop the device immediately by tapping on the top surface.
I've been very happy with my mini and plan on getting more in the future. The lower price point is definitely what helped here.
Please no. Apple has no motivation for creepy data collection, while Amazon and Google do. Yes, Siri needs improvement, but bringing Amazon and Google onboard does nothing to help that.
I have 2 HomePod minis and the sound quality is great, certainly there are better speakers, but 1. it says in the ecosystem (point proven) and 2. has great sound quality.
Have you actually listened to one? or are you just assuming because of "physics" that it's inferior? by the way, part of the science of the hompod mini, is placing it in the right location for better sound quality. With all that said, YMWV.
Except we think they listen to you even when they claim they do not.
Great. Now bring back Apple's AirPort networking in the form of a HomePod with built in wifi basestation or mesh/extender - that way I can have best of both worlds.
Apple has 5 iPhone choices and one speaker choice for four years. Not replacing the original HomePod and add the mini puzzling to say the least.
Yeah, this, primarily. I mean, last year, I got several Echo Dots for people as Xmas gifts (as well as for myself) because they put them on sale for $19.99 each. At that price-point, I can't even think of another electronics/computer gadget you can buy that does as much (except maybe smart plug or lights - which you'd likely use WITH a device like an Echo Dot).
Secondarily though? They really are pretty far ahead of Apple in capabilities. The ability to create custom "routines" in their Alexa smartphone app (or on the web site) is a game-changer. I mean, yeah - I get that probably a good 50% or more of Alexa users have never even attempted to program up any custom routines.... but Apple acts like that's the only crowd they need to cater to with Siri. Those of us who want to do more advanced things with these tools find Siri falling short.
Just for my morning alarm alone? With Alexa, I can have it wake me at a preset time with an alarm sound, but then have it automatically read me the day's weather forecast and traffic conditions for the drive in to the office on the days I go in. (Can tell it to skip that step on the days I work from home each week.) If I want to get fancy? I can tell it to turn on specific lights in the house after that and read me a quick summary of the news. Maybe on weekends, set a much later alarm that just plays up to 60 minutes of streaming music? All kinds of flexibility to do creative things, especially as you add some home automation.
I find a lot of people are concerned about that, and that's what's preventing wider adoption of any of these personal assistant devices. Thing is? There's plenty of research that proves they're not actually listening and recording everything like that. What they do is constantly listen for the ONE key phrase that tells them the voice that comes next is a command to process. Everything else they hear that doesn't match "Alexa" or "Hey Siri" or what-not is just discarded.
How do we know this? There are packet sniffer tools out there like Wireshark you can install to watch all of the network traffic flowing to and from devices on your network. And these devices simply aren't transmitting anything up to the cloud when they sit idle, even in a noisy room full of conversations.
I currently have 8 original Homepods throughout my house, and I picked up a pair of Mini's to try them out. I run them all in stereo pairs. There are still many glitches trying to get them to do what you want at times, but the software is slowly improving. I am not impressed with the sound of the mini's, currently using them in my Bathroom, but I suppose that is because I am comparing them to the originals, which sound quite good. What I would really like to see is a real high end HomePod, maybe around the $1,000 mark, that could come closer to replacing lower tiered component systems. And it would be nice to have some control over equalization, as different people prefer different sound signatures. The convenience of Apple Music, voice controlled, is very convenient.
I got a mini because the HomePod OG didn't support Thread. I use it for Siri but not for music.
Other than that, the HomePod OG exactly hit the sweet spot for me. Apple needs to figure out a way to get sound quality like the HomePod OG back onto their shelves.
Other than that, the HomePod OG exactly hit the sweet spot for me. Apple needs to figure out a way to get sound quality like the HomePod OG back onto their shelves.
Agreed. I love my OG HomePod pair. I think after Christmas I'm going to start putting Minis throughout the house.
I am jealous of your morning routine capabilities. I can maybe get that to work with some kind of automation but I have very little interest in messing with that.
Two Sonos 5 (airplay2) would do the job nicely and available today. Sonos so far ahead and supporting Airplay2, the need for only one HomePod mini for Siri music control. What I am doing with my original HomePod. Plays and controls Sonos via Siri. Works nicely. New speakers will be Sonos.
It's easy to double a minuscule number. This is the exact same thing the Macalope has always said about gushing reports about various Android vendors sales reports.
As much as I enjoy apple products, Siri and the HomePod have been a letdown. Most of the time my HP mini's go out of sync while playing stereo. Siri for no reason doesnt understand a command or recognize a device. I purchased an echo 2 months ago and it has had no trouble with any home devices and its response is so much quicker than Siri. Even for just music which is what I got the HP minis for the lag is terrible whereas the echo starts right up.
Love my HomePod Mini. Probably going to buy one or two more.
With that said, I would like a step up, less than the Original HomePod…but with better audio quality than the Mini.
With that said, I would like a step up, less than the Original HomePod…but with better audio quality than the Mini.
You can likely accomplish all of this using automations and iOS shortcuts, It might require some technical knowledge as shortcuts app is not really average user frendly but it's really powerful.
Wow, I'm shocked, I was full on Amazon throughout the house (I agree they are much better than apple/siri) however my wife had so many issues with the apple music integration. If she told it to play her music it would get stuck and play the same 20 or songs over and over (not even new songs). We have the apple music subscription (however I dont use it via that way, always through my mac or phone when traveling).
Well, with the experience of offering a cheaper, but still great HomePod mini to gain more market share now under Apple’s belt, what about offering a cheaper Apple TV 4K dongle with S8 chip next year?