I feel it is needed - - and I will happily go to a wellness retreat as long as you are buying...
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New 'HomePod' Hub With 7-Inch Screen on Track to Launch This Year
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My inner old school Luddite tendency understands what you are going for and agrees with a lot of it.
That said, I don’t think a device like this necessarily needs to be a constant simulation machine
For me, I would probably honestly use it just to play podcasts if the sound was good and occasionally look up a recipe or one of my notes or bookmarks in the kitchen
And I do check the temperature outside all the time already, before I go for runs and walks, with other means but I would appreciate having that on the device like this
As with a lot of this stuff it’s about what you do with it, not the device itself
I get the impression that Thread Radios might be something that Apple will include in this new device - there was a list of high end Apple devices that had these unannounced features recently - and The Verge revealed a list of Macs and iPads too - all recent models.
If Apple are releasing a 'cheap' device with a Thread Radio then this might be the reason why older kit would be disallowed from doing the job - not least that at some point the latest updates would not be allowed on the really old gear.
Although I will add that creating a limited App Store for a new category of device sounds like a method of justifying a lower entry cost - although it wouldn't surprise me if such a cost was the usual Apple price - way above the competition.
And there is also the danger of such a device becoming a white elephant if not used in a HomeKit/Thread home network - rather than being able to be used as a normal iPad.
We don't know if the iPad mini has a thread radio - later series Mx iPads (Pro and Air) appear to have them. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max with the same CPU appears to have Thread radio so there's no reason why the 7th gen iPad mini with the same CPU would not.
I would see a use case, if it could really do only little tasks for little money: replace the light switch with some add ons like room to room speaker, heat control… so you go and buy 1 for maybe 99$ or better in a bundle of 5 for 399$. Needs a clever solution for power supply though - easy, no electrician no cable something…
But I’m afraid it will just be a cheap old iPad mini in the end
But I’m afraid it will just be a cheap old iPad mini in the end
My problem with this is that they can’t code anymore at Apple. We will have a device that carries on all the issues of the current Apple home kit platform, with probably some new features just bolted on. It will likely result in a big mess.
Just as an example from iOS 18.1 to 18.2.1 you couldn’t set a device to turn off after a specific amount of time. The answer was “automations need to be set at least a minute out”, even if you asked to turn something off in 30 minutes. It’s fixed now on 18.3.
Furthermore, for years and years, devices were showing as not reachable on the home app etc.
Apple is not able to produce software anymore unfortunately. They need to piggyback onto chatGPT because Siri is dumb, why would someone sane and in the right mind buy such a product, knowing all the issues…
I also don’t trust anyone pointing a camera into my living room.
Apple has the mouth full of privacy talking but it’s just like any other, it’s time to snap out of this idea that Apple is looking after our privacy.
A hard pass for me personally.
Just as an example from iOS 18.1 to 18.2.1 you couldn’t set a device to turn off after a specific amount of time. The answer was “automations need to be set at least a minute out”, even if you asked to turn something off in 30 minutes. It’s fixed now on 18.3.
Furthermore, for years and years, devices were showing as not reachable on the home app etc.
Apple is not able to produce software anymore unfortunately. They need to piggyback onto chatGPT because Siri is dumb, why would someone sane and in the right mind buy such a product, knowing all the issues…
I also don’t trust anyone pointing a camera into my living room.
Apple has the mouth full of privacy talking but it’s just like any other, it’s time to snap out of this idea that Apple is looking after our privacy.
A hard pass for me personally.
Yes, but the selling point might be something about how it can be used by whole family, based on voice recognition like HomePod is supposed to be able to do (but fails at). Anyway more accounts or somehow a smart family management system will be key as it needs to be able to do useful things, but not let everyone read each others messages.
Well I think seeing Amazon currently selling this type of gadget for several generations now (Echo Show Series) does show that there IS already a usecase for many users.
It’s all about the price, I guess. At the same price as an Amazon Echo Show 8, I would be happy to replace mine with the Apple equivalent.
I consider this to be a legitimate complaint and concern for sure
Software quality from Apple just does not seem to be the same as it used to be
It’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. In the mean time, with all these “losses” it’s often the world’s most valuable and respectable company. Good deal.
That would be off-topic on the thread … let’s discuss that somewhere else perhaps
I know lots of people with Echo's. I know one person with an echo show, and they use it like a regular echo and to visually see the weather. That's it.
I think there seems to be some confusiong about what a "home hub" is. To me there are two possible types of home hub:
The issue I have is whether that is enough to justify its existance and (to me, at least) this is down to where the device is supposed to be placed. It is acting as an visual information hub for the family and/or smarthome controls, it probably needs to go somewhere where all the family will regularly see it, or where is makes sense to have a smarthome control panel. For example, in the kitchen (where a family planner might have gone in the past) or in the hallway, near the front door (so the weather forecast can be viewed and smart home routings can be triggered as people are leaving the house). In my opinion, a device in these places wouldn't really justify any kind of high price. It's also very unlikely that the device in these positions would every be used for Facetime.
The rendered image in the article shows the hub on an office desk, which seems like a niche location: it would only be useful for the person using the office and you would be better off using your phone (especially if Apple add more night Standby widgets). Does Apple intend for people to buy multiple hubs and distrubting them around the house?
- A device that simply controls / synchronises / acts as a backend for all the smart home devices on the network. This does not need any kind of screen or interface as this is done via a "controller" device such as iPhone, iPad smart speaker etc. This type of home hub is how the Apple TV works.
- A device with a screen, that can show the status of all the devices and acts as a controller & hub. This seems to be what the rumoured device will be.
The issue I have is whether that is enough to justify its existance and (to me, at least) this is down to where the device is supposed to be placed. It is acting as an visual information hub for the family and/or smarthome controls, it probably needs to go somewhere where all the family will regularly see it, or where is makes sense to have a smarthome control panel. For example, in the kitchen (where a family planner might have gone in the past) or in the hallway, near the front door (so the weather forecast can be viewed and smart home routings can be triggered as people are leaving the house). In my opinion, a device in these places wouldn't really justify any kind of high price. It's also very unlikely that the device in these positions would every be used for Facetime.
The rendered image in the article shows the hub on an office desk, which seems like a niche location: it would only be useful for the person using the office and you would be better off using your phone (especially if Apple add more night Standby widgets). Does Apple intend for people to buy multiple hubs and distrubting them around the house?
Well if you can afford and justify any rubbish product then you have the funds to fund your own retreat. Maybe forego the purchase and use it towards the retreat instead.
I maybe mistaken however most runner have an AppleWatch or something comparable, a smartphone or even a tablet which all encompasses the needs and requirements you made mention. Having another device to do this doesn’t necessary make it a good idea. This need to be constantly “plugged in” is not healthy from a biological standpoint, it’s messes with circadian rhythm and simulates the brain when it should not be. There are a lot of research done on this even how it’s effecting children and teenagers it’s a growing problem, even Cook mentioned in one of his recent interviews that he wakes up early and does a passive activity like checking emails. No wonder people are having burnout.