But then the problem is you have a bunch of Alexa products in your home.
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HomePod Mini Helps Apple Nearly Double Its Market Share of Smart Speakers and Screens
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That was deliberate. Could you imagine if they started at the low end and then tried to introduce a much more expensive speaker? Consumers would ask "why would I spend more for the same thing?".
The original HomePod broke the ice, allowed them to refine the technology at a premium level, and then reduce its size. Technology always starts out big and then gets smaller as it matures.
Just sold my HomePod OG to a lucky owner so that I can get two black minis and an Apple TV. Already have four minis home.
Kinda sorry I sold the OG but I don't want to get stuck with an old device when Apple releases their home cinema combo ?
Kinda sorry I sold the OG but I don't want to get stuck with an old device when Apple releases their home cinema combo ?
The latest iOS devices process many requests on-device now, so nothing is sent to the cloud unless the device itself requires the cloud for further processing.
There's certain things in our modern world that we can no longer avoid. Just walking or driving down the street sends your image to traffic cams on the internet where anybody in the world can view them.
This is why Apple's focus on privacy is paramount. Because other companies (and governments) aren't asking for your consent to broadcast your life to the world. Apple's approach is designed to provide convenience without violating your privacy. They aren't perfect, but definitely better than the majority.
That’s fine, but for better or worse, that price point dictated their market share.
Better sounding? Isn't the HomePod top-notch in terms of sound quality, for its size? What is your reference for a premium sound?
Well I have to admit I do like my minis. I have 6 and 2 OG HomePods. I’ve tried the echo dots, echo shows, regular echos, nest hub and google nest mini. Alexa and the google assistant are better assistants however the HomePod is the one the plays the best with all my devices because they are apple devices. I’d rather give up some of the smarts for better integration and control. Also the mini and the OG HomePod both sound better than all the aforementioned speakers and that’s that I used them for the most. Second most used function is as speakers for my Apple TV’s.
Also want to add that there is zero chance that I would be using my homepod mini's at all if it weren't for a good integration from Home Assistant and Homebridge.
I wound't say it was overpriced for the quality of the product that was offered. The original HomePod was top of its class in terms of sound quality and performance. I do agree that they should not have discontinued it, replacing it with a cheaper option just to get market share. Now they're in a tough spot to raise the price on a mid-range device.
My 7yo daughter uses Siri on her iPad every day, for two basic reasons: the weather report and to play music. Both of which Siri handles flawlessly. So this year, she is getting a mini for xmas. While there are well-documented wish lists for Siri and Apple's overall speaker strategy, for our specific use case, in our Apple ecosystem, the mini makes perfect sense. I'll be interested to see how it performs.
That said, as I have written many times, any improvements to Siri are nothing but welcomed.
That said, as I have written many times, any improvements to Siri are nothing but welcomed.
if you want to be spied on, maybe you could hack it. But siriously, in my experience, Siri is way better, even without the lack of spying, but you should get what you want, no one is stopping you
I have trouble when I don't enunciate clearly too.
I do not share your experience. In fact I have the oposite, plus I don't want Alexa spying
Well, the minis have excellent sound for a small speaker, way better than google pucks and amazon. I use a pair with my appleTV and listen in Dolby Atmos.
Not true, Siri is way better, and no spying. Might be a use case, Google has the best fart sounds, if you are into that, but for what I use it for. I am very satisfied. Besides, just to let you know, you don't speak for me
then -- turn off data collection - unless you have google or amazon, then you are out of luck.
Says who? Oh, Apple. Your trust in Apple is what Apple thrives on and feeds your complacency.
I have no proof whether Apple spies on you or not. Neither do you.
You have no proof Amazon spies on me or not. Neither do I.
People have tried and failed to show that Amazon is spying or collecting data beyond what they say they do. Sure it is passively listening to everything it hears, but so is Homepod.
But you keep peddling that snake oil.
Apple shouldn't have started with the big one, or at least only with the big one. Smart speakers need market share to build a larger ecosystem for media and smart home stuff, not just great sound. Hopefully the mini becomes successful enough that Apple reintroduce a higher end model.Still shouldn’t have discontinued the first one.By far one of my most treasured Apple thingies.
Considering how niche the Homepod (still) is in features and integrations, I'm surprised Apple is managing to get a 10% market share.
I'm not sure that is really the case with speakers. Sure they made the homepod smaller, but majorly sacrificed sound quality to do so. The original homepod was a sophisticated speaker, the homepod mini is literally just a tiny single driver speaker in a sphere. It is fine for what it is, but it is definitely a downgrade in terms of sound quality.
Homepod mini is fine for its size, but very underwhelming overall. I have original homepods and they have really great sound quality, but Apple doesn't make them anymore. It's the single driver homepod mini that sounds meh, and that's it. There needs to be a $199 or $249 option with more drivers and better sound to really create a good home music ecosystem.