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$199 is a steal for these things based on the sound quality alone IMO, and if Apple supported surround sound, I’d imagine they’d sound even better... and give people like me another reason to buy a couple more. After all, I bought a 2nd HP to create a stereo pair which was worth every penny at $349.
 
When I got my 1st HomePod, I ranted on another post about the set-up being very un-Apple like (having to reset them to set them back up) & wasn’t convinced by the sound - it appears earlier that Apple gimped the EQ option.

A month or so later I bought another as price was cheap. On one hand I think the reason the EQ is gimped is so that all HomePods sound identical i.e same sound signature but on the other the bass these put out is way too much for my property & there is no way to adjust it, so they’re permanently on low. (I’m waiting for you’re placing them wrong kinda statements - when u lift them off the floor u get less bass etc.)

I’m not sure how much ‘value’ I get from them as half the time Siri doesn’t answer / internet drops on both (way more than any other Apple device I have) & as mentioned Apple Music is a must (until no doubt Spotify etc. is allowed)

At first I wasn’t too bothered by the lack of Jack & Bluetooth, I knew what I was buying. OTOH, I’d tried unsuccessfully to let a friend play music thru it - with a Bluetooth/Jack not a problem, HomePod said I had to sign into my Apple a/c to grant them access. Now I understand that this is prob because of my “personal requests” being there & maybe security, but WTF seriously “it just works”? I think not!😬

As a stereo pair I’m not convinced & it was mentioned earlier about the iPod Hi-Fi. Funnily enough I’ve also got that plugged into the TV & (IMO) I still get a great sound from it, better than HP? Maybe not soundstage wise, but every day listening & zero hassle, it can’t be beat.

I guess that when it comes to HomePod mini, I’ll maybe hold back unless the hardware & software is seriously given a major overhaul, if not I won’t be buying them & may even be tempted to eBay the current ones, as with everything YMMV.

You don’t know how to work it. In order to give someone access. You give them access to your HomeKit.
On a different note, it’s crazy how many people don’t understand the concept of WiFi speakers. Sonos has been around for sometime.
 
You don’t know how to work it. In order to give someone access. You give them access to your HomeKit.
On a different note, it’s crazy how many people don’t understand the concept of WiFi speakers. Sonos has been around for sometime.

I don't know how to work it, seriously?

Yes I can go into my 'Home' and change my setting from 'only people sharing my home' to either 'everyone' or "anyone on the same network" but remember, this is just to play music on a one time only basis thru a speaker. I shouldn't have to take time to email their iCloud address, why can't guest access be allowed in the same vein I can give someone my MBP & they can log in as guest, bypassing all the "personal request" and other home functions I hold on it. Security shouldn't not mean simplicity.

Ironically moments before, my iPhone allowed me to share my wifi key with the new device so straight off it should know this is a trusted contact.
 
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This sounds less like a "mini" HomePod and more like a complete replacement. Otherwise, why bother clearing out inventory unless you know that the new version is going to severely hamper sales of the old version. I don't recall Apple ever marking down a product by this much?

The original iPhone dropped its price from $499/$599 to $299/$399 inside of 90 days.
 
Siri is dreadful and this kills the HomePod. I have purchased two of these twice and returned them both times. By the same token I have also purchased the Amazon Echo Studio and Alexa is generally spot on. Not perfect, but a heck of a lot better than Siri. Sound quality they are pretty close, though I would give the edge to the HomePod. However, for my old ears the Studio is just fine. I also purchased them for $159 intro price when they first released them for pre-order. I don't trust Amazon with my info, but these days you can't really trust any of them.
 
How long did the iPod Hi-Fi last?

I believe iPod Hi-Fi lasted 12mths before lacklustre sales caused it to be pulled (far too expensive).

the real question should be ... will Siri FINALLY be overhauled or launched with some really competitive functionality and features to match or beyond the competition??!

I still have a huge angst about this google engineer getting paid for 2yrs and we’ve only got shortcuts (a purchase from a developer that figured out a lot of issues with Siri) and tweaking Siri’s voice or sound more “natural”.
 
I get that Apple is more privacy friendly, but can a HomePod Mini really go up against Amazon's Echo Dots and Google's Home Minis? They have the better AI assistant and are pretty cost effective.
How are their assistants better? Better at stealing data? Siri does literally everything I ask.

Like what specifically are you asking these home assistants to do that Siri can’t do?

“Siri sucks” is a cop out that no longer applies.
 
How are their assistants better? Better at stealing data? Siri does literally everything I ask.

Like what specifically are you asking these home assistants to do that Siri can’t do?

“Siri sucks” is a cop out that no longer applies.

“Siri turn on the living room lamp.”

“Sorry I can’t find that.”

“Siri turn on the living room light.”

“Done.”

Two days later and calling it a lamp again works just fine.
 
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until they open up full support to Spotify i'll be sticking to my google home speakers... not to mention Apple Home kit still very limited to devices.... so you will never have a full experience of home automation with siri... Apple is still way too far behind the ball with siri for me to even consider buying one of those speakers...

Seriously pay A$469.00 to be able to ask 'hey siri, what song is this?' how many times i have even thought about asking that? who cares???? With my google home, i can easily say, 'hey google, i like this song' and it will automatically save this song to my fav list on Spotify... When apple let me do that with siri, i'll consider buying one.
 
“Siri turn on the living room lamp.”

“Sorry I can’t find that.”

“Siri turn on the living room light.”

“Done.”

Two days later and calling it a lamp again works just fine.

Right and if you don't say it exactly just so then you can forget it. I've asked for specific songs and it play the wrong thing. I've asked for playlist and it would say, You may like this playlist and then play something off the wall. Never have those issue with Alexa. Alexa give you a little latitude.. its called natural speech. Try setting a timer and then tell Siri to extend it or even just snooze. Uh... what? LOL. The list goes on and on...
 
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Not sure I understand. I bought two HomePods at near full price and then a third one for $200. I absolutely love them and would not change a thing (other than revamp Siri to actually be useful). The sound quality is amazing, especially when paired with a second one for stereo sound.
 
This sounds less like a "mini" HomePod and more like a complete replacement. Otherwise, why bother clearing out inventory unless you know that the new version is going to severely hamper sales of the old version. I don't recall Apple ever marking down a product by this much?

I have three of these now. Maybe the new one isn't a Mini at all, but the same thing with better hardware. I can't imagine how they'd make the hardware much better though. The real issue is ......... Siri. Or maybe the next one will have built-in Bluetooth?

It sounds more like Apple is introducing a new generation with a smaller option, rather than replacing the larger one with a smaller model. The full size HomePod has been around for more than 2 years. It's time it got an update alongside the introduction of the smaller one.
 
Do you think if the first GEN HomePod incorporated a user interface, that would’ve made an impact any differently in terms of ‘popularity’? When consumers are purchasing a device like this, it really is meant to be ‘hands-free‘ With control through your iPhone, I don’t think a user interface is something that would be a selling point for a device like this, even though I see the advantage somewhat.

sure, the everyday user wants to select and press on a UI with UX that's optimized for the product.. voice enabled devices are still too abstract, in looks simple to tech heads but for the rest its like "how do I operate this thing... where is the menu...?"

as for the dependency on the iPhone, people wants standalone products, that reliability on the iPhone is a mess just like the Apple Watch, especially when the home app to view,modify and god forbidden update(if it will not brick it) the HomePod is simply garbage right now.

to my opinion
Apple Watch OS with the bubbles icons, applications like weather, music, radio etc.
faster processor, better networking(LAN cable)\wifi6
0% dependability on the iPhone
 
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What would be interesting if this was just a Siri/airplay connection point that you could hook up to traditional speakers or an amp.
 
Currently £279.00 at apple uk but only £199.00 at John Lewis with a two year guarantee!
 
How are their assistants better? Better at stealing data? Siri does literally everything I ask.
Like what specifically are you asking these home assistants to do that Siri can’t do?
“Siri sucks” is a cop out that no longer applies.
Don't think you can make such a statement based on your personal opinion and try to apply it to all. Obviously many users disagree with you.
 
Don't think you can make such a statement based on your personal opinion and try to apply it to all. Obviously many users disagree with you.
Same goes the other way round, though. For what I use Siri for (granted, not too much), she works flawlessly most of the time.
What bothers me most is that she isn't able to mix languages - for example, while set to German, pronounce English words and names correctly.
 
(...) If I set them up as a stereo pair, I can only see them if I'm connected to the guest network-- no matter how I have the sharing options setup.
(...)

I believe there's your answer. As far as I remember they require to be in the same network as your iPhone to be fully functional. Give it a try connecting them to your main network and see if it'll work.
 
Im really happy with the four Homepods I have now. What I would love is a portable, rechargeable version I can move around the house or bring out by the pool on nice days in the summer.

I just unplug mine and take it out to the deck, plug it back in using the outdoor outlet, and play. Not truly portable, but workable.
 
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The big change i'd like to see with the HomePod is the inclusion of a battery and replacement of the power cord with a charging station like cordless kettles use, With additional stations sold extra then have the charging station override the HomePods room/group setting.

That way a HomePod can be picked up, taken from one room to another and placed down on a charging station. The battery would only need to be powerful enough to keep the compute system running not the speakers, so you don't have to wait for a restart when moving.

WiFi 6 is a no-brainer if the hardware is being updated anyway.

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So basically like the Sonos Move which already works with Apple Music?
 
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