HomePod Reviews: Outstanding Sound Quality, but Siri 'Struggles at Smart'

[OllyW]

You guys shouldn't need to argue about whether the Echo or Homepod is better. Just get both and connect them together. For an extra $30 (equivalent to sales tax on the Homepod), you can get an echo dot with your HomePod. Connect them together with BT, and now you'll have the best assistant (Alexa) along with the best speaker (HomePod) in this segment. Now you can do stuff like voice command Spotify and also use non Home-kit connected smart home devices.

The HomePod doesn't stream audio over Bluetooth so that will not work.

 

[mdatwood]

GoogleHome appears to be better, but how often do you ask Siri things she can't do or answer? What specifically does she struggle with?

I've never used Alexa, but have used Siri and Google Home. The Google Home is getting really good with being context aware, and easily programmable.

Right now I can say "Hey Google, Neflix and chill". Goole Home switches my TV over to the chrome cast (it would turn on the TV if I had a newer model), starts netflix, and plays "The Office" (a background show I often have on).

Later, I can just say "Hey Google, pause". Since the Google Home is in the family room with the chromecast it figures out that I probably mean pause the show on the TV.

My Apple TV is older, so maybe on the newer ones Siri is doing things like this just fine, but based on using Siri on my phone, I doubt it.

 

[dbe]

I think the one thing that is being overlooked is that the HomePod is an excellent choice for those of us that are heavily invested in HomeKit. My thermostats, deadbolts, garage door opener, tons of lights, and some ceiling fans are all HomeKit. The HomePod is essentially a HomeKit speaker which will integrate with all my other HomeKit devices. Siri needs an IQ boost to say the least but with regards to HomeKit I never have issues. I was considering a Sonos Play 5 so once this came out my choice became clear.

 

[Wilburx3]

"Hey Siri" is so bad at picking up commands it makes me wonder about Apple's entire future plans. Siri should be the central point that connects all devices and works unbelievably well. It fails to even pick up the 3rd or 4th Hey Sir most times. When it does it fails to run the appropriate command 25% of the time. I've retrained Siri and it has made no difference.

 

[iPhonefan200]

For what Siri is offering , I’ll take it ! The music quality is what I want and I only use my Alexa for smarthome , news and weather and alarms.

And Tbf I find the Siri UI more streamlined than Alexa , Alexa is way to command based it can’t dictate what I mean whereas I find Siri does

Siri - turn on the lights ... okay

Alexa - turn on the lights ... I found several devices matching that name ...

No Alexa just no
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"Hey Siri" is so bad at picking up commands it makes me wonder about Apple's entire future plans. Siri should be the central point that connects all devices and works unbelievably well. It fails to even pick up the 3rd or 4th Hey Sir most times. When it does it fails to run the appropriate command 25% of the time. I've retrained Siri and it has made no difference.

I often wonder if that’s an iPhone hardware issue such as bad microphones other than Siri. From live action reviews so far Siri is picking up a lot

 

[w00master]

I'm not a big fan of Siri, but I do think some of the "Hey Siri" response issues is due to iPhone hardware. On my previous iPhone (6 plus), I frequently had delay issues with Siri when prompting it with "Hey Siri."

Now with the iPhone X, I no longer see this. I'm wondering if those having "Hey Siri" response issues are using older hardware?


That said, Alexa & Google Assisstant are currently far better than Siri, IMHO.

And someone asked before for a 'real' example of Alexa being able to do something that Siri can't, easy one:

Multiple timers. If you cook a lot, multiple timers are key.

 

[Baymowe335]

Siri has an inherent problem with mostly working with Apple devices and Apple software. I don't subscribe to Apple Music but I do subscribe to Spotify. Siri isn't allowed to communicate with Spotify but Alexa is. And Alexa is worlds more responsive than Siri has ever been for me. Alexa responds near perfectly every time while Siri lags just a bit too long to make her useless to me. If Siri could control Spotify or really any other software that isn't proprietary to Apple whether on the iPhone or Homepods then it could have the potential the reign supreme.

Open Siri up to the level that Alexa is open and you won't hear nearly as many people complaining.

Amazon doesn't have a legion of 1.3B loyal customers, so it makes more sense Apple's AI is targeted to Apple ecosystem and its devices.

Amazon really has no choice but to work better with other platforms. Before you say that's a big disadvantage, I don't think it's Apple's strategy to make their products work great with other services and hardware. It works really well with other Apple stuff, which is their goal.
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I've never used Alexa, but have used Siri and Google Home. The Google Home is getting really good with being context aware, and easily programmable.

Right now I can say "Hey Google, Neflix and chill". Goole Home switches my TV over to the chrome cast (it would turn on the TV if I had a newer model), starts netflix, and plays "The Office" (a background show I often have on).

Later, I can just say "Hey Google, pause". Since the Google Home is in the family room with the chromecast it figures out that I probably mean pause the show on the TV.

My Apple TV is older, so maybe on the newer ones Siri is doing things like this just fine, but based on using Siri on my phone, I doubt it.

I'm pretty sure Siri can do all of that with Apple TV. And please, don't say "Netflix and Chill." My God.

 

[babbit]

Except Homepod doesn't do Bluetooth.

Thanks for the info. Well that sucks. No AUX in either.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Yeah, but the thing is if this thing doesn't sell half as well as Echo then most companies are going to release Echo-compatible devices and services and ignore HomePod.

Can these third parties relate HP compatible devices and services? I'm under the impression that there's no app options here- solely dedication to Apple services (airplaying option excluded for relevance). I don't believe this is like Echo and similar devices. This seems very closed where Amazon & Google seem to be trying to get their assistants into anything and everything.

 

[iMi]

Am I the only person that thought the HomePod was easily 2x bigger? That photo from The Verge really puts it into perspective. I was thinking something taller than my blender and wider.

That's funny. I thought the same thing. In fact, now I am not sure about it. I guess I have a couple of days to decide if I'll keep the order in place. Most reviews say it's great. Size is a little bit of a disappointment actually. It's just hard to believe something so small could possibly sound as good as everyone claims.

 

[WannaGoMac]

I've never used Alexa, but have used Siri and Google Home. The Google Home is getting really good with being context aware, and easily programmable.

Right now I can say "Hey Google, Neflix and chill". Goole Home switches my TV over to the chrome cast (it would turn on the TV if I had a newer model), starts netflix, and plays "The Office" (a background show I often have on).

Later, I can just say "Hey Google, pause". Since the Google Home is in the family room with the chromecast it figures out that I probably mean pause the show on the TV.

My Apple TV is older, so maybe on the newer ones Siri is doing things like this just fine, but based on using Siri on my phone, I doubt it.

That's really cool and creepy at the same time. Google is amassing some amazing data on everyone for use in marketing and advertising.

 

[Beck Show]

Nonsense. Post some real examples.

Siri = Alexa and is better than Bixby.

GoogleHome appears to be better, but how often do you ask Siri things she can't do or answer? What specifically does she struggle with?

I honestly think people here just repeat their negative thoughts on Siri based on what they read.

I thoroughly enjoy using Siri, and have very few issues using it. Siri regularly makes my interactions with my devices more fluid and more fun.

 

[gnipgnop]

Then I don‘t know what they were thinking or trying to say. The Airplay protocol absolutely doesn‘t degrade audio quality.

One possibility is that the quality perception has nothing to do with the bit rate of the streaming protocol and more to do with 1st party sources being more compatible with some of the advanced features like beam forming and room acoustic adjustments. That's something I wondered about when I saw the original presentation for the HomePod, i.e., would it be possible to perform the same types of operations regardless of the source.

 

[Rogifan]

I just did a google search for HomePod reviews in the last 24 hours. Nearly every headline included the word “but”. I’m confused why Apple chose to release this product without more smarts or SiriKit domains. Even just bitting the bullet and giving Siri a music domain would have stunted a lot of the criticism. This isn’t about prioritizing sound over smarts. I doubt the people working on HomePod’s audio quality are the same group working on Siri. Make both best in class and you will get people on the fence to spend the money.

 

[the future]

But that's an example on what Alexa can do but Siri can't.

That was the point.

Here's another one off the top of my head:

Try and ask Siri to do 2 timers. Good luck. Before you say anything, cooks often need more than one timer running.


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No, that's what Siri thought he/she said.

You‘re right, those are two examples. Anyone has to decide how important they are to them. Are there more examples? What about all those third-party „skills“?

 

[gnipgnop]

I just did a google search for HomePod reviews in the last 24 hours. Nearly every headline included the word “but”.

Part of that is just a double standard: reviewers gave low-dollar smart assistants a pass on audio because they weren't really expecting much to begin with. They could easily have a "but" for the audio portion. The reality is that the speaker design of the Echo line is a complete afterthought.

 

[mcarthon]

Except Homepod doesn't do Bluetooth.

hmm i wonder if thats why they dont allow bluetooth to work

Part of that is just a double standard: reviewers gave low-dollar smart assistants a pass on audio because they weren't really expecting much to begin with. They could easily have a "but" for the audio portion. The reality is that the speaker design of the Echo line is a complete afterthought.

except you can connect your echo to a superior wireless speakers and still pay less than 350. I dont doubt how good the homepod sounds thought i would like to own one just not at 350. more like 199.99 id be a more willing buyer. I usually go apple too when i can.

 

[Heineken]

I just did a google search for HomePod reviews in the last 24 hours. Nearly every headline included the word “but”. I’m confused why Apple chose to release this product without more smarts or SiriKit domains. Even just bitting the bullet and giving Siri a music domain would have stunted a lot of the criticism. This isn’t about prioritizing sound over smarts. I doubt the people working on HomePod’s audio quality are the same group working on Siri. Make both best in class and you will get people on the fence to spend the money.

Apple can't improve physical device qualities after the fact. Software on the other hand they can improve any time and add any features. Either way i will be buying it for sound not for "smarts".

 

[Michael Goff]

Somebody explained it to me like this. Apple can improve Siri over time. But a bad speaker will always be a bad speaker, you can’t fix that.

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

And it does a lot of these things very poorly compared to the alternatives.

I am pretty entrenched in the Apple ecosystem: Mac, iPhone, Watch, AirPods, etc. but the one place I stray is music and speakers. I subscribe to Spotify for the vastly better music discovery (I tried Apple Music for the trial, maybe it's become better, but Spotify gives me multiple personalised playlists each week and a selection of personalised daily mixes - it's hard to beat), have Sonos speakers and a Google Home.

Google Assistant is better even at the simple things: it can set multiple timers, which Siri can't do. It can have a conversation with me, when asking about the weather you can reply with a 'what about in Birmingham?', something Siri can't do. Google Assistant can play songs from Google Play and Spotify, radio from TuneIn, whilst Siri is limited to Apple Music - fine if you're a subscriber, extremely limited if you're not.

Google's attitude to privacy is a genuine concern, but that can't be the biggest selling point for Siri. It has to be able to stand on its own. It's disappointing, because the HomePod looks like some stellar hardware.

So for you the "Assistant" feature is more important followed by support for a diverse ecosystem. There is nothing wrong with that and in that case the HomePod is not the best option.

For people like myself, Apple centric with a Apple Music Family sub with very little use for an "Assistant" then the HomePod is pretty much perfect.

I have tried all of the assistants and I agree that Google is the best. That said I simply do not care to use them beyond basic stuff, like "call/text my wife", "Play whatever music" or set a timer. I know it will tell the current weather but I use my Apple Watch or phone to view that stuff because I want to see the next day or the hourly break down.

 

[bozzykid]

Somebody explained it to me like this. Apple can improve Siri over time. But a bad speaker will always be a bad speaker, you can’t fix that.

Sure, but for most people, the Echo and Google Home speakers are good enough and work better when actually trying to use them. Plus, I think some people make be inflating how much better a HomePod is vs a Google Home Max or a Sonos One. It is a weird category for Apple to be trying to put the HomePod in. Audiophiles will already have better speakers and people looking for smart speakers will use a different ecosystem.

 

[Michael Goff]

Sure, but for most people, the Echo and Google Home speakers are good enough and work better when actually trying to use them. Plus, I think some people make be inflating how much better a HomePod is vs a Google Home Max or a Sonos One. It is a weird category for Apple to be trying to put the HomePod in. Audiophiles will already have better speakers and people looking for smart speakers will use a different ecosystem.

For me, the killer feature is being able to tell Siri to play Apple Music on it. That’s it. That’s all I’m using it for.

 

[steelo3232]

You can get a lot of Hardware into a lot of homes for 89.00 or 39.00 in the Echo and the Dot. Not so much at $350.00 Once the hardware is there, inevitably, people will dabble into the pieces that can compliment that hardware, hue lights, thermostats, locks, etc. I'm as big an apple loyalist as there is.... our family has tens of thousands of dollars in Apple products. However, in the smart home realm Amazon got in our home first and will stay there. Every camera, lock, light, etc runs off Alexa and Amazon and the skills complimenting Alexa are vastly superior. The sheer number of devices that work with Alexa dwarf Apple's Homekit. Further, Alexa is ten times better than Siri in producing accurate responses to queries. I was astonished at how bad Siri was/is six weeks after putting Echos in the house. I can easily use a Echo with my Iphone.

How many minutes a day do you listen to music through a speaker in your house? I must be the weirdo because when I am in the house or outside listening to music it is via my phone and headphones.... for me a smart speaker must be smart, how good it sounds is inconsequential to me. That's what good headphones are for. With a family of 5 it's actually annoying when someone isn't using headphones....

 

[44267547]

My Personal experience is Siri does exactly what I need it to. I understand it's not as quick as Accurate as Google is, but I think Siri meets my expectations, even though it does struggle at times with deciphering. We all know Siri can also use improvements, but I really don't have anything bad to say about it and I use it every single day for AirPod commands, Apple Watch commands, iPhone dictation, etc. I can tell you that Siri makes my life a lot easier and quicker when it comes to the little things for operation and control.

 

[vipergts2207]

hmm i wonder if thats why they dont allow bluetooth to work



except you can connect your echo to a superior wireless speakers and still pay less than 350. I dont doubt how good the homepod sounds thought i would like to own one just not at 350. more like 199.99 id be a more willing buyer. I usually go apple too when i can.

I’m not sure I could find a set of powered bookshelves I’d want for less than $300. Certainly when you factor in the $700 cost of two HomePods, putting together a better sounding setup is trivial. At only $350 for a single one I’m not so sure, especially when considering AP2 connectivity being a required feature for many. Even the lowest-end set of Klipsch powered montiors are $400 alone.