HomePod Mini Likely Nearing Launch in Five More Countries

[Morgenland]

I guess in all country a music song is the same!

Ask Siri to play İbrahim Tatlıses – Bir Kulunu Çok Sevdim or Üsküdar'a Gider İkenusing or Девочка танцуй with english language setting.
Good luck!

So Apple prepares all devices in painstaking work that Siri firmware hopefully understands everything. The legal regulations (manuals, etc.) must also be complied with for country approvals.

This takes time and is enormously resource-intensive.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

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These cases are so unnecessary, and yet adorable.

I saw that and thought 'Fifth Element'.

I read where someone tried to make their HomePod a certain color using markers, and the reults were about what you would think. Just don't... Well, unless you like that look...

The wife had to have a HomePod. Got a Mini and hasn't used it at all, depriving someone of that very one somewhere on the planet. *shrug* I have to say I don't use mine as much as I did. I wish I would have been able to get the black one, I got the last white one at the local Worst Try. (But there's always the Magic Marker trick!)

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Of course, Apple discussed your topic a long time ago.

Ask the Swiss (I'm not Swiss, but I know some): They attach great importance to Swiss German. And most would grumble if Siri didn't understand it. The dialects in Europe are very different, so it is a big challenge for Apple to inspire ALL consumers, not just those who somehow can speak English fluently like us.

In addition, if you set your language setting to English (as I always do), you can't request anything in other languages when selecting music locally with Siri. Siri simply can't understand that, because Apple has not yet implemented variable language recognition in Siri.
This is a Herculean task for future M-chips, which Androids can or know even less about, of course.

I remember over hearing someone complaining about 'international travel being *SO* hard'. They learned a language, only to find out that the country they went to didn't use that language, and she looked like a fish out of water, trying two languages that many didn't use. I didn't catch what language, but I'm sure it was embarrassing. *shrug*

I've been surprised a few time traveling in the Caribbean to find out what their local language is. In the islands, there are many that are just as fluent in colloquial English.

 

[Morgenland]

I remember over hearing someone complaining about 'international travel being *SO* hard'. They learned a language, only to find out that the country they went to didn't use that language, and she looked like a fish out of water, trying two languages that many didn't use. I didn't catch what language, but I'm sure it was embarrassing. *shrug*

I've been surprised a few time traveling in the Caribbean to find out what their local language is. In the islands, there are many that are just as fluent in colloquial English.

Certo, hai ragione (sure, you're right). And I'm glad that English is so widespread.
In the Netherlands traditionally almost everyone speaks English fluently, that's also because in the past movies were not translated. English in Germany has become the 2nd mother tongue, at least among the younger ones. And France is also making huge progress. So it is fine to travel in these major countries.
Northern Europe is also very good at English, cause they are close to Undefined Kingdom.

And here is the topic:
If you want Siri to call up Titoli nazionali with English system settings it simply doesn't work.
Anyone who understands this will support Apple in updating all these languages.

As Apple doesn't want to limit access to music of the English-speaking world (standard world pop, etc) they try to make country-specific local exotics addressable with Siri and let their musicians live.
This is a complex task, and Apple is thankfully stepping up to the plate.

btw I love Isaac.

 

[Nozuka]

Thanks but no thanks... should have offered the original Home Pod in my country, not this worse sounding thing.

 

[Morgenland]

Thanks but no thanks... should have offered the original Home Pod in my country, not this worse sounding thing.

I own both versions.
Therefore, I can not understand you.

I am happy with both.
Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Those who see only the weaknesses will not find happiness in this world.
And have to whine forever.
In any country on earth.

With little intelligence and confidence, you had been able to get your desired previous HomePod from any country in the world as well. I, too, had purchased this through another as long as it was not yet available in my country and then only had to replace the power plug.

 

[Nozuka]

I own both versions.
Therefore, I can not understand you.

Obviously

 

[Morgenland]

Obviously

?

 

[bollman]

A HUGE problem with voice control is that if you set it to some third world language like Swedish, it is quite difficult to ask for stuff in Queens English.

 

[Morgenland]

A HUGE problem with voice control is that if you set it to some third world language like Swedish, it is quite difficult to ask for stuff in Queens English.

1. Sweden is Europe, not third world
2. In fact, multi-language requirement is always a big problem. I am curious when Siri will actually be able to operate multilingually. Currently, even M-processing power is not yet sufficient for this, because this is a very very complex topic from a purely technical point of view. And if someone is able to do it on device, it will definitely be Apple, because Android currently only has weak language recognition on board capabilities and a strangely outdated processor architecture.

 

[skitidetdu]

Siri had been available in Swedish for several years so I don’t get the delay with selling the HomePod here.

 

[Morgenland]

Siri had been available in Swedish for several years so I don’t get the delay with selling the HomePod here.

The legal regulations (manuals, etc.) must be complied for each country approvals.
This takes time and is enormously resource-intensive for some countries.
The transport logistic (in the context of COVID) might probably still have less of an impact.

I wish you imminent availability. The minis are really amazingly good.

 

[dannyyankou]

Apple needs to realise that there are millions of people who don't live in an English speaking country, but speak and understand English (or other majority languages) just fine.

Seems silly that we have to wait for them to translate everything into the region's main language before we're allowed to even buy a HomePod Mini.

While we're at it, let me sign up for Apple Fitness+ - I promise I won't sit there looking at the screen like a confused caveman trying to work out what "ok now do a jumping jack" means.

but then you run the risk of Swedish people buying it because they think they can speak Swedish on it, then returning it and that would cost Apple money.

 

[dannyyankou]

Siri had been available in Swedish for several years so I don’t get the delay with selling the HomePod here.

It probably takes more time to test a device that you're speaking to from across the room than when it's right in your hand

 

[star-affinity]

I guess/hope the language support will be available via a software update for current Home Pod minis, because I take it there's nothing hardware related involved, or? ?

 

[newyorksole]

I barely use mine, but do wish they would work on another larger version.

 

[citysnaps]

Apple needs to realise that there are millions of people who don't live in an English speaking country, but speak and understand English (or other majority languages) just fine.

Seems silly that we have to wait for them to translate everything into the region's main language before we're allowed to even buy a HomePod Mini.

While we're at it, let me sign up for Apple Fitness+ - I promise I won't sit there looking at the screen like a confused caveman trying to work out what "ok now do a jumping jack" means.

I suspect it's really about HomePod primarily being a music player that uses Apple Music. And that Apple Music is currently unavailable in many countries.

 

[npmacuser5]

But why would you want it then? just get a much cheaper Alexa device

Up game, get Sonos. Choose Amazon or Google voice. Option to use Siri via Airplay2 if one likes to add a bit frustration to their day. Sonos most flexible, very good sound quality, dedicated company to sound, wireless speakers. Add Sonos sound bar, get big boom music streaming in the TV room. All good.

 

[SFjohn]

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These cases are so unnecessary, and yet adorable.

Looks a little like a Poké Ball… 😉

 

[SFjohn]

Ask Siri to play İbrahim Tatlıses – Bir Kulunu Çok Sevdim or Üsküdar'a Gider İkenusing or Девочка танцуй with english language setting.
Good luck!

So Apple prepares all devices in painstaking work that Siri firmware hopefully understands everything. The legal regulations (manuals, etc.) must also be complied with for country approvals.

This takes time and is enormously resource-intensive.

Interesting, now I understand why the Netherlands gets shafted so much. It never made any sense before.

 

[MauiPa]

Can we pleeease have the original HomePod back? Please??

While I love my HomePods, I will also say the minis have extraordinary sound, just smaller. I use for Dolby atmos on a bedroom tv, phenomenal. Also I played the minis in the same rooms with a HomePod, traveling between them, the tone quality was not perceptively different, which is amazing. Ok the regular HomePods will be louder and better for a big room, but that goes without saying

 

[Grey Area]

The legal regulations (manuals, etc.) must be complied for each country approvals.
This takes time and is enormously resource-intensive for some countries.

I doubt it is that problematic, as Sweden is in the EU Single Market. Numerous Swedish retailers have been importing Homepods and Homepod Minis on their own from other EU-countries and selling them in Sweden, for years. It feels a little absurd how Apple Sweden is the place not selling Homepods in Sweden.

 

[skitidetdu]

A HUGE problem with voice control is that if you set it to some third world language like Swedish, it is quite difficult to ask for stuff in Queens English.

The legal regulations (manuals, etc.) must be complied for each country approvals.
This takes time and is enormously resource-intensive for some countries.
The transport logistic (in the context of COVID) might probably still have less of an impact.

I wish you imminent availability. The minis are really amazingly good.

Transport problems is a no no since it is available in the grey market. Just with no Swedish Siri…

 

[Abazigal]

Any HomePod product will suffer of operating only through Siri, which is not always the best smart Assistant.

If Apple wished to help the HomePods sell, they should enable 3rd-party Assistants on them, but we all know Siri is more important to Apple than the HomePod.

I think it’s safe to say that smart speakers as a product category hasn’t exactly taken off, and allowing other smart assistants isn’t going to boost sales either.

Amazon’s Alexa Stalled With Users as Interest Faded, Documents Show

Internal memos detail the company’s efforts to keep customers engaged with its Echo smart speakers.

www.bloomberg.com

Based on this Bloomberg article, only a small number of amazon echo users use Alexa, much less use it for anything meaningful (the primary uses are playing music, setting timers and turning on lights, which the HomePod is optimised for).

People are buying it simply because it’s a cheap speaker (amazon apparently loses money or barely breaks even on each sale). They don’t really care what brand of smart assistant comes bundled with it, and if I am going to buy one to use with my iphone, I would rather it be Siri (this way, at least all my recorded conversations go through just one company), rather than having them all in my house (Siri, google assistant, Alexa).

I still have no idea why Apple even entered the smart speaker market to begin with. It clearly not the new computing paradigm the tech press was hyping it up to be (the tech world was clearly so desperate for something to leapfrog the iphone that they latched onto anything that Apple wasn’t doing), most of its functionality is already subsumed under the Apple Watch, and Apple is clearly not going to be able to subsidise the price the way its competitors have.

Maybe that’s the only intention. Offer people a privacy-focused alternative to these smart speakers so users have the option of having only Siri in their house?

 

[currentinterest]

Siri works beautifully for me. I have minis and original HomePods. I love the original. I can only hope we will eventually see a mini Max in the near future.