It seems that most didn't read the article, but instead went into their stock Siri rant.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Siri on HomePod Correctly Answered 52.3% of Queries in New AI Test
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Interesting that Siri would have a higher score than Alexa/Cortana if there were more domains enabled for HomePod. I know this test is somewhat arbitrary and meaningless but I’ve been saying for a long time that Siri isn’t THAT bad. It’s bad at understanding you because it only lived on iOS devices with mediocre microphones until now. Comparing it to Echo and Google Home’s 7 microphone far-field arrays was always unfair.
Lol. Somehow you think “privacy” is the reason Siri can’t answer these queries. This thread is emblematic of the problem. Instead of actually being critical of Apple when it is clearly warranted....instead it is spin, defend, spin, defend. The bottom line is you overpaid for a piece of consumer electronics that isn’t up to par with the competition.
This is pretty consistent with our experience. We started with the Echo but since replaced with Google Homes. The Google Home and Siri work in the same manner with supporting natural language for most things. So you can say it however it pops up in your head. Just Google is better at it.
The Echo is different in that it is excellent at voice recognition and then looks up in a database. It does not do the natural language part. So if willing to memorize the commands it works extremely well. But if someone is not willing to memorize the commands should be avoided.
The Echo is different in that it is excellent at voice recognition and then looks up in a database. It does not do the natural language part. So if willing to memorize the commands it works extremely well. But if someone is not willing to memorize the commands should be avoided.
Look at some of the patents Google was recently awarded for new "features" they are thinking about including in their home assistant. One patent covers using a camera in their product (presumably the home assistant) to look around your house and then direct advertisements to you based on what the camera sees. In the patent itself they use the example of the camera seeing a book on your night stand then recommending the movie of that book to you. Another patent covers their product coaching parents on their parenting skills. The example given was that if Google product noticed families were not eating together often enough (according to Google) that the product could recommend to parents that they eat together more often. Wow, that isn't creepy at all
Look at some of the patents Google was recently awarded for new "features" they are thinking about including in their home assistant. One patent covers using a camera in their product (presumably the home assistant) to look around your house and then direct advertisements to you based on what the camera sees. In the patent itself they use the example of the camera seeing a book on your night stand then recommending the movie of that book to you. Another patent covers their product coaching parents on their parenting skills. The example given was that if Google product noticed families were not eating together often enough (according to Google) that the product could recommend to parents that they eat together more often. Wow, that isn't creepy at all
Google had shutters added to the new third party devices that are coming with a camera. So if in the future something like this was actually going to happen you would have the option to keep the shutter closed. I do find it a bit amazing that every device with a camera does not come with this type of shutter and something I really wish Apple would adopt.
BTW, I very much doubt you would ever see something actually like this from Google.
I rarely use Siri at all any more, since it constantly is "unavailable", gives me the wrong answer, or just provides a laundry list of web search results. It can't even give me local movie listings consistently.
Siri was neat when it first arrived on the scene, but it just hasn't shown any reliable utility for me. YMMV.
Siri was neat when it first arrived on the scene, but it just hasn't shown any reliable utility for me. YMMV.
It’s unfortunate but most things that show visual content like this graph are disabled on HomePod. They will likely start enabling them as they re-word and double check the responses so that they don’t need visual feedback to answer the query.I do think if Siri can answer a question on the phone is should be able to answer that same question on HomePod. I asked Siri who has the most gold medals at the Olympics. On the phone it told me. On HomePod Siri said “I can’t answer that question on HomePod”. Makes no sense. Siri should do the same thing it does in a car when it thinks you’re not looking at a screen.
Then it is you who are failing to understand what comparisons are about. It's also you who wants an unfair comparison. Comparisons aren't about whether or not the products do what their manuals state. Comparisons are about how they stack up against the competition relative to a set standard. Again, if the criteria was based only on what the HomePod can do, how is that a fair comparison? It's not.
What you want is a test - does the HomePod do what it says it does. That is not a comparison.
The same question (in general) has been asked countless times since the 1960s.
AI : Six decades of parlor tricks and counting.
Human intelligence and thought processes are not reducible to machine algorithms. "Deep learning" is the latest in decades of meaningless buzz words.
It is the reason. Google has a ton more data feeding its AI algorithms. They understand how we interact with machines better than anyone. I didn’t buy one yet, but I likely will in the future for music purposes. For me, I don’t really need much more than it is. I’d like them to open it up a bit though.
That's pretty much what companies shipping Beta/immature products seem to ask for
Last edited:
I agree. It doesn’t surprise me at all. Apple sells products to make money. Google sells ads.
[doublepost=1518358328][/doublepost]
Apple has a long way to go with smart home and AI stuff, but I’m sure it will improve over time. For consumers, at least we have options.
[doublepost=1518358458][/doublepost]
You’re not wrong, but it still has to do with privacy. Google has exponentially more data when it comes to their AI algorithms. Where do you think this data comes from? Users of its products and services. Their machines learn from their customers.
Then they should have done that, in order to perform better.
And why does Siri, mainly a server-based system, have better performance on iOS11 than on iOS9/10 ?
Unless anyone comes with a sensible clarification, that also seems planned obsolescence or inexcusable lunacy given its fallable stature
I'm a recovering audiophile. I know exactly what an excellent home audio system sounds like, both in ideal rooms, and less than ideal rooms. The reality is that $1000 and an ideal room will provide FAR better sound quality than $10,000 and a typical non-symetric room.
After a great master and good (not great) speakers, the next low hanging fruit (i.e., best bang for buck improvement) to improve sound quality is replacing the room. For most people, that's not a practical option, despite being the most logical next step (if only sound quality is considered). Apple has used machine learning in an innovative way to correct for poor room acoustics. I've been waiting 23 years for someone to provide an affordable solution to the very problem HomePod is designed to address. I don't care about Siri performance in the least, beyond functionality equivalent to a three button inline headphone remote.
As far as stereo sound, a single HP provides up to 7.1 discrete channels in a single enclosure. Stereophonic sound does not require multiple enclosures, only multiple drivers. When AirPlay 2 arrives, two HomePods offer the potential of up to 14.2 discrete channels. Claims that HP doesn't support stereo are wholly incorrect.
Last edited:
You have waited? Why? HomePod is nothing new or innovative. For over a decade, Denon, Yamaha, and others have been offering systems that learn a room's acoustics and adjust speaker delays and frequency response to optimize the listening experience. Apple is just using a A8 chip as a crude, part-time DSP. BFD
JFC, its over 300 hundred bucks and Siri is a big part of it. It damn well should be better than everything else especially at that price point. Its pathetic they shipped before the software was complete and that Siri still blows
Sounds like a decent buying motivation aside (or: despite) Siri.
Your emphasis on room specifics seems to imply you can't test out HomePod in an AppleStore, can you ?
Last edited:
I don’t understand why Apple provided Amazon an API to let me check my iCloud calendar from my Echo but didn’t include the same capability in its own HomePod. I’m still going to use my Echo even though I wish I could have the HomePod sound.
Also I like to wake up to music from my alarm when is another simple thing Apple didn’t support in the HomePod.
If Apple just wanted to build a nice speaker why didn’t it allow me input from an Alexa device? I would have bought the HomePod then.
Also I like to wake up to music from my alarm when is another simple thing Apple didn’t support in the HomePod.
If Apple just wanted to build a nice speaker why didn’t it allow me input from an Alexa device? I would have bought the HomePod then.
When you're measuring the capabilities of the AI and considering it as a home automation hub you are really over thinking the HomePod and missing the point.
It's a great sounding speaker for playing your music.
That's it.
You should be evaluating Siri in terms of whether is provides a good interface to find, select, and control the playback of music. That's is. What the hell does a calendar or sending an email have to do with it? It's like dinging iTunes because it doesn't let you manage your calendar or send emails.
Apple may release a home assistant at some point but why review the HomePod in terms of something it isn't meant to be in the first place?
It's a great sounding speaker for playing your music.
That's it.
You should be evaluating Siri in terms of whether is provides a good interface to find, select, and control the playback of music. That's is. What the hell does a calendar or sending an email have to do with it? It's like dinging iTunes because it doesn't let you manage your calendar or send emails.
Apple may release a home assistant at some point but why review the HomePod in terms of something it isn't meant to be in the first place?
No, Denon, Yamaha, and others aren't providing anything close to the functionality of HomePod. Being able to adjust volume of each speaker relative to a single point in space, i.e., the sweet spot, isn't what HomePod does. Before HP, consumer grade DSP was rudimentary, at best. HP provides a GIANT leap forward.
HP deconstructs the (usually 2-channel) audio signal, provides a distinct channel for each of seven tweeters, determines which audio channel to send to which tweeter (and at what relative volume), adjusts equalization to correct for some frequencies interacting poorly with room treatments, and (presumably) adjusts timing of the audio signal, so that direct and reflected sounds reach the listening area at the correct relative times.
No, they haven't. They've been attempting it, failing at it as well. It only works under very narrow specific conditions and even then not that great.
I've had the early Yamaha systems and against it's time it was amazing. But in all honestly really didn't work that well. It truly felt and was experienced as a compromise.
It's only the recent generations where it is built into the receivers of say Anthem or Arcam or the higher end models of Denon where it does a truly remarkable and intelligent job.
But the lower systems are still effectively glorified sound pressure level meters to balance the setup.
What you are getting here for the amount of money is very impressive. Please list me one, just one, traditional system where you can buy the amplifier, two speakers, cabling and stands that provide an immersive soundstage beyond the main listening position for a mere £319. And that is then totally disregarding the size of the offering as well.