Apple TV already essentially functions like this. It will be an AirPlay 2 target and it has Siri built in. They removed the optical port when the ATV4 came out, it won’t be coming back. Buy a $20 hdmi audio extractor if you want that functionality.
HomePod No Longer Available for Launch Day Delivery From Apple in U.S.
- Thread starter MacRumors
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trifid
macrumors 68020
Indeed... like this one...
Apple is repeating history, with the iPod Hi-Fi speaker they focused on the glorious sound quality, but the product was too expensive and too niche, ie only worked with iPods.
Similarly, Homepod is too expensive and only works with Apple music and within Apple's ecosystem. Plus it misses the point on the most important feature which should be AI.
Remember when people said the same thing about the AirPods, Apple Watch, and even the iPhone?
jermwhl
macrumors 6502
This is a good point. I didn't even realize such a device existed (although I had seen people referencing the iPod Hi-Fi). Hopefully they can fix some of the limitations with HomePod. I agree that having only Apple Music is not a smart move and it is disappointing that stereo and multi-room weren't in the initial release. I think all of these are able to be fixed with software updates. Other limitations like an aux-in or a better top "display" would have to come through gen2. I'm interested to see where the smart speaker market goes in the next few years.Indeed... like this one...
Apple is repeating history, with the iPod Hi-Fi speaker they focused on the glorious sound quality, but the product was too expensive and too niche, ie only worked with iPods.
Similarly, Homepod is too expensive and only works with Apple music and within Apple's ecosystem. Plus it misses the point on the most important feature which should be AI.
StoneJack
macrumors 68040
Indeed... like this one...
Apple is repeating history, with the iPod Hi-Fi speaker they focused on the glorious sound quality, but the product was too expensive and too niche, ie only worked with iPods.
Similarly, Homepod is too expensive and only works with Apple music and within Apple's ecosystem. Plus it misses the point on the most important feature which should be AI.
As far as I remember, there is now 1 billion iOS devices or so. Plus millions of Macs. Even if HomePod works within this ecosystem (which is not true), it got huge potential.
Abazigal
Contributor
Does it even need support? I see it like the Airpods and airport router. A minor maintenance patch every once in a while, but I don’t see major changes dropping like the Apple Watch.
gnasher729
Suspended
That would be quite idiotic. I have lived without a HomePod for many, many years. I can live without it for a few more weeks.
[doublepost=1518085977][/doublepost]
No. Someone needs to build and sell a box with audio inputs that sends things out to Airplay. There are boxes doing that for bluetooth (so you can plug in your 30 year old cassette player and it plays on any bluetooth device), but nobody has built on for Airplay yet. You can get it the other way round, Airplay receiver that feeds audio into your amplifier's aux.
I wonder if Apple have licensed AirPlay transmission for third party hardware?
I7guy
macrumors Westmere
Don’t think it needs artificial hype. Betting sales will be significant. May not be for you but Apple is hitting the mark with their products.
ocnitsa
macrumors 6502a
It’s not for me...but Apple has tens of millions of Music subscribers. There is def a market for it and they have differentiated it as high quality sound compared to other smart speakers.
I expect it will do well and become moderately useful in 5 years.
Siri is too dumb for me and I get my music off the Apple grid.
If these were cheaper and mesh routers I’d be into it, maybe.
I expect it will do well and become moderately useful in 5 years.
Siri is too dumb for me and I get my music off the Apple grid.
If these were cheaper and mesh routers I’d be into it, maybe.
I don't remember anyone saying that about the iPhone. Care to remind me?
Chupa Chupa
macrumors G5
Not necessarily. If they are looking for a great Siri speaker, then it probably doesn't interest them because Siri integration in HomePod is limited, i.e., "sucks," so the two ideas would be correctly linked. I think a lot of people can't tell the difference between "I can't wait for mine to ship," and "anyone who can't find a use for HomePod needs their head examined."
TallManNY
macrumors 601
Agreed. But in that case, why not just buy one now? Many of the software upgrades (Airplay 2, for example) will probably be out in a few months. Apple isn't going to lower the price anytime soon. And unless there is a hardware issue, they probably won't change the hardware for a year. And I could see them not changing the hardware on this for two years.
I ended up getting one (though partly it was going to be a gift, but then I realized that the gift recipient didn't use Apple Music, so I decided to just keep it for myself). I'm happy that I will get it to try it out.
Sure. Here is one example. People complaining about touch screen buttons, the size of the phone (lol). Naysayers always pop up on these "new" products. Does it surprise you that they came for the iPhone too?
And here's one of the top Reddit posts from 8 years ago when the iPad was announced. You'll get a kick when you see the title.
Enjoy.
Chupa Chupa
macrumors G5
I think OP was saying a lot of people scoffed at the original iPhone. Most famously, Steve Balmer. I don't think the HomePod is going to have the success of the iPhone, but it will sell decently. Apple Music is available in over 100 countries, some where Spotify doesn't have a presence yet. No reason to think Apple can't ship 10m unit this year.
Exactly. Similar things are said for every new Apple product. Heck, somebody probably did say the exact same thing about it being a forgotten product with time.
Comparing the HomePod's possible success to that of the iPhone isn't realistic; I don't know if we'll see a future product that will come close to the success of the iPhone. That was in a league of its own. HomePods are not exactly disrupting an industry - there are plenty of home speakers already out.
Arran
macrumors 603
Not quite true. The Hi-Fi has a standard 3.5mm audio input which doubles as a mini toslink optical in. That little connector is the reason my own Hi-Fi gets daily use 10 years later. Even better, it works with all audio sources, not just Apple Music (now and into the future)
OTOH, HomePod locks you into Apple Music.
What happens if you gradually install homepods in your house and Apple raises the price of Apple Music? Or stops updating firmware/OS for early-model homepods?
You’re stuck.
oneMadRssn
macrumors 603
This is my worry. The fact that its easy to switch from one streaming service to another is what keeps pricing and features competetive.
Bacillus
Suspended
Ah !
You mean to say that Apple's seamless integration, enhanced by the unparallelled analysis of its customers' desires and usage trends, has led to a new level of adaptation of the device's capabilities to those of their current user base ?
Mac... nificent
macrumors 6502a
It's funny how many people don't like a product they've never seen or tested.... same thing happened with the first iPads.
It’s even stranger given there’s practically no negative reviews about HomePod anywhere on the internet... Just dozens of positive ones.
newyorksole
macrumors 603
Lmaoo why do people like you post such things?! People can buy what they want. For you to call it “worthless” is ridiculous. You sound bitter and a bit salty. Not good.