Smart Speaker Showdown: HomePod vs. Google Home Max vs. Sonos One

[TrueBlou]

Yea, that is why I switched to Android - Note 8 because I was tired of waiting for Apple for the features that I want. I am sure eventually everything will get baked in because if they release everything at once, 1. the general user will be overwhelmed 2. bugs to fix. However, I have no doubt when Apple integrates it, it'll work more smoothly than Android but it'll be awhile and IF they want to integrate it or go another direction.

Bugs? Apple? Surely not 😀😀😀😛

How are you liking the Note 8? I'm considering it as my next Android handset. I don't use them as my daily driver, but I do have uses for them so I like a decent one. (And there's only so much I'll believe in "professional" reviews.)

 

[DiamonDecoden]

Bugs? Apple? Surely not 😀😀😀😛
How are you liking the Note 8? I'm considering it as my next Android handset. I don't use them as my daily driver, but I do have uses for them so I like a decent one. (And there's only so much I'll believe in "professional" reviews.)

The thing is no OS is perfect. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Android takes a while to setup not like Apple where everything is ready to go! Just change wallpaper and such maybe some settings. Note has another level of feature with the pen and if you don't draw like me or do graphic design (OMG it's amazing for graphic designers or artists <3) , you might or might not need it. I find it easy to use it as it is so much more accurate than your fingertips. Also, are you a 1 handed handset person or 2? I like using 2 handed as I have small hands. Note is definitely for 2 handed use and I love that. Also, iOS is great for people who are new to tech like my parents, I would NEVER recommend Android for them. They have a hard time with iOS just as is although they aren't tech aficionados like us.

Bixby!!!! I love Bixby myself but like you say Android / Google / Samsung collects ALOT of personal data but you cannot automate w/o it. sooooooo...... this is the best solution for now.....

Bugs--- okay Android will not feel as smooth as iOS maybe the pixel- pure android will but not with Samsung (again I have accepted that you cannot eat your cake and be slim and healthy) , it's another layer added but I personally like Bixby and samsungs touches with the Spen again it is more personalized. So, in the end, it is about how you want your software to work for you. I find Google (android) want to please it's customer with features more while Apple is like "I know whats good for you and how everything works so please sit down." lol iOS is not perfect and do get bugs too but they are not as noticeable because the phone is limited, it is locked down, the animation and design is stressed on "clean lines and clean interface with lots of padding and white space." However, that can get old quick. Anyways, I stop yammering here because there is endless things you can compare between the two and you'll get no where at the end because they are so different yet the same if that makes sense - both get you from point a to point b in the basic phone function but one is better for the general population.
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Bugs? Apple? Surely not 😀😀😀😛

How are you liking the Note 8? I'm considering it as my next Android handset. I don't use them as my daily driver, but I do have uses for them so I like a decent one. (And there's only so much I'll believe in "professional" reviews.)

My short answer is I LOVE THIS PHONE SO SO SO SO SOOO MUCH. It is my favorite phone, I fits my needs and I love drawing on it and if I lose it, I'll replace another one just like it!!!!!!!!! Notes forever for me. I love sketching and drawing on it and clipping images with it. I can't believe I waited so long to get back to the note line.

 

[TrueBlou]

The thing is no OS is perfect. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Android takes a while to setup not like Apple where everything is ready to go! Just change wallpaper and such maybe some settings. Note has another level of feature with the pen and if you don't draw like me or do graphic design (OMG it's amazing for graphic designers or artists <3) , you might or might not need it. I find it easy to use it as it is so much more accurate than your fingertips. Also, are you a 1 handed handset person or 2? I like using 2 handed as I have small hands. Note is definitely for 2 handed use and I love that. Also, iOS is great for people who are new to tech like my parents, I would NEVER recommend Android for them. They have a hard time with iOS just as is although they aren't tech aficionados like us.

Bixby!!!! I love Bixby myself but like you say Android / Google / Samsung collects ALOT of personal data but you cannot automate w/o it. sooooooo...... this is the best solution for now.....

Bugs--- okay Android will not feel as smooth as iOS maybe the pixel- pure android will but not with Samsung (again I have accepted that you cannot eat your cake and be slim and healthy) , it's another layer added but I personally like Bixby and samsungs touches with the Spen again it is more personalized. So, in the end, it is about how you want your software to work for you. I find Google (android) want to please it's customer with features more while Apple is like "I know whats good for you and how everything works so please sit down." lol iOS is not perfect and do get bugs too but they are not as noticeable because the phone is limited, it is locked down, the animation and design is stressed on "clean lines and clean interface with lots of padding and white space." However, that can get old quick. Anyways, I stop yammering here because there is endless things you can compare between the two and you'll get no where at the end because they are so different yet the same if that makes sense - both get you from point a to point b in the basic phone function but one is better for the general population.

Thanks for the write-up. I’m not new to Android as an OS, been using it for years so I know what to expect there. Though I’ve mostly been a stock droid kinda guy. I had a note years ago and the Samsung bloat got on my nipple ends, but with the excess of power in the devices now I was hoping it would be improved.

I don’t mind the size, I’ve got hands like pit shovels 😀 and I don’t object to going two-handed if needs be.
If I’m honest the pen is a draw (pun intended) with the Note, I do like to doodle and jot notes.

I think you’re pretty spot on with your comparisons between the two OS’s and you can never have it all I suppose.

I’ll probably take the plunge on it. Just as soon as the wife’s forgotten how much money I’ve spent recently 😀

 

[DiamonDecoden]

Thanks for the write-up. I’m not new to Android as an OS, been using it for years so I know what to expect there. Though I’ve mostly been a stock droid kinda guy. I had a note years ago and the Samsung bloat got on my nipple ends, but with the excess of power in the devices now I was hoping it would be improved. I don’t mind the size, I’ve got hands like pit shovels 😀 and I don’t object to going two-handed if needs be.
If I’m honest the pen is a draw (pun intended) with the Note, I do like to doodle and jot notes. I think you’re pretty spot on with your comparisons between the two OS’s and you can never have it all I suppose. I’ll probably take the plunge on it. Just as soon as the wife’s forgotten how much money I’ve spent recently 😀

Note 8 is fantastic for people who love to sketch on the go. So, I am still new at this so this is just a quick sketch of me using my note 8 (sailor moon style) lol. I want to find a good app for sketching I am using the autodesk one and it's nice.

 

[TrueBlou]

Note 8 is fantastic for people who love to sketch on the go. So, I am still new at this so this is just a quick sketch of me using my note 8 (sailor moon style) lol. I want to find a good app for sketching I am using the autodesk one and it's nice.

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That’s pretty damn good, I like your style. Definitely got me beat on the artistic abilities front 😀

 

[Mac 128]

Great, another device to collect dust and spy on me.

They spying can be turned off. But you hit the nail on the head about collecting dust -- particularly the white one.

I was dismayed after the iFixit article showed how difficult it was to get the mesh screen off. Even more so when I went to the Apple site, and discovered their official cleaning recommendation was to use a soft dry cloth, and if necessary a damp one.

Having had two Bose Acoustamass 5 surround systems in white, I know first hand how difficult it is to keep them clean, even with removable grilles. Even in black, the grille will still need to be cleaned more thoroughly than a damp cloth can manage, much less the preferred dry one.

 

[TrueBlou]

They spying can be turned off. But you hit the nail on the head about collecting dust -- particularly the white one.

I was dismayed after the iFixit article showed how difficult it was to get the mesh screen off. Even more so when I went to the Apple site, and discovered their official cleaning recommendation was to use a soft dry cloth, and if necessary a damp one.

Having had two Bose Acoustamass 5 surround systems in white, I know first hand how difficult it is to keep them clean, even with removable grilles. Even in black, the grille will still need to be cleaned more thoroughly than a damp cloth can manage, much less the preferred dry one.

Agreed, cleaning these things can be problematic if you don’t keep on top of it.

Personally I use the Dyson with a soft bristle attachment to clean the mesh on all of my speaker grilles. Once a week whether it looks like it needs it or not and they’re always looking good.

 

[robbyx]

Have seen quite a few post regarding how bad Siri is compared to other assistants. While it is true that Siri is way behind, I see many coming to apples defense claiming it’s because Apple guards your privacy.

Stop making excuses for them. That’s wrong! In the grand scheme of things Siri is awful and it’s simply because Apple has let it slide like almost everything else they’ve done. There’s a lot Siri doesn’t do compared to other assistants that has nothing to do with privacy. Apple is lazy AF when it comes to following up much of their software. Siri is merely one example of many things they have let fall by the wayside. If you haven’t noticed how poor and sloppy Apple has gotten, I really don’t know what to tell you. Your head is buried in the sand.

Oh, I definitely agree with you that Apple has gotten sloppy, but Siri is hardly withering on the vine. The HomePod is based around Siri. They brought Siri to the Mac. They are clearly all-in on Siri.

Privacy is one factor, but I agree that it’s not the only one. I have no idea why Siri is so weak, nor do I have any idea as to why Apple hasn’t made any meaningful improvements. My point was simply that for an assistant to be effective, human or AI, it must know as much as possible about the person it is assisting. It needs to learn habits and patterns and have access to as much data as possible or it can’t be anything more than fancy voice commands.

I’m not particularly impressed by any of the current voice assistants, but I strongly believe that a conversational user interface is going to be the “next big thing”. Nothing I’ve seen from Apple suggests that they are leading the way with Siri.

 

[Stella]

IFTTT is available on iOS as well, is there something specific you mean that doesn't work with it on iOS? I'm just curious. Or maybe it's nosey, never used to be nosey til I met the wife 😀

Yes, IFTTT works with iOS, but doesn't work with Siri?

 

[TrueBlou]

Yes, IFTTT works with iOS, but doesn't work with Siri?

You can make IFTTT a bit more flexible with HomeKit and by proxy Siri and the HomePod if you run the HomeBridge software. Allowing you to add IFTTT into your HomeKit automations and such.

 

[DanielLH]

Apple must expand the services. I was really considering the Homepod (I have several Apple products), but I don't want to be forced to use a single music service and iTunes. I love Tunein so much in my Sonos One/Alexa, that I am considering switching to Spotify in order to keep everything I like: a good voice assistant, internet radio, and a music service. So by not being more flexible, maybe Apple will lose customers on the Apple music and Homepod fronts. Too bad, cause their hardware is just the best.
[doublepost=1519402355][/doublepost]Also, regarding sound quality, one thing that concerns me is those customer reports saying how much the sound is affected by the speaker placement. I though the "algorithms" were able to figure that out, precisely, so that the Homepod would sound at its best, regardless of placement. This may explain in part the different results in different sound test comparisons. But again, I thought the whole point was to put the Homepod wherever in your room. I guess I will stick with Sonos for now, and wait for "Homepod 2".

 

[TrueBlou]

Apple must expand the services. I was really considering the Homepod (I have several Apple products), but I don't want to be forced to use a single music service and iTunes. I love Tunein so much in my Sonos One/Alexa, that I am considering switching to Spotify in order to keep everything I like: a good voice assistant, internet radio, and a music service. So by not being more flexible, maybe Apple will lose customers on the Apple music and Homepod fronts. Too bad, cause their hardware is just the best.

I get where you’re coming from and I totally agree that there are some benefits in remaining platform agnostic with a music streaming service.

I just don’t know how much sleep Apple would lose over not supporting some of the other platforms natively. Considering how relatively new Apple Music is compared to the other services and that they launched into a crowded marketplace dominated by Spotify. They’ve actually been doing pretty well all things considered.

Getting 30 odd million paying customers already and steadily increasing that number. They’re probably pretty happy with how it’s going.

 

[DanielLH]

I get where you’re coming from and I totally agree that there are some benefits in remaining platform agnostic with a music streaming service.

I just don’t know how much sleep Apple would lose over not supporting some of the other platforms natively. Considering how relatively new Apple Music is compared to the other services and that they launched into a crowded marketplace dominated by Spotify. They’ve actually been doing pretty well all things considered.

Getting 30 odd million paying customers already and steadily increasing that number. They’re probably pretty happy with how it’s going.

This is also true. I understand why Spotify or Google music are not featured: they are direct competitors. But the homepod is really missing internet radio. I'd also include some EQ controls (treble, bass). If they fix this, I'd be really tempted to buy one.

 

[TrueBlou]

This is also true. I understand why Spotify or Google music are not featured: they are direct competitors. But the homepod is really missing internet radio. I'd also include some EQ controls (treble, bass). If they fix this, I'd be really tempted to buy one.

You didn’t hear it from me, but a little birdie tells me there will definitely be at least some degree of customisation in the EQ department. Particularly where reducing the bass is concerned. Shhhh 😛

I’d like to see some more radio added too, in the UK nor having the BBC channels, among others is a slight letdown. But there’s a glimmer of hope for that in the future, maybe.

 

[DiamonDecoden]

You can make IFTTT a bit more flexible with HomeKit and by proxy Siri and the HomePod if you run the HomeBridge software. Allowing you to add IFTTT into your HomeKit automations and such.

What can it do though?

Here's the thing, many times there lots of Apple feature that aren't so widely advertised. I feel it's because Apple wants to keep things simple so people aren't overwhelmed with settings and customization.

 

[TrueBlou]

What can it do though?

Here's the thing, many times there lots of Apple feature that aren't so widely advertised. I feel it's because Apple wants to keep things simple so people aren't overwhelmed with settings and customization.

It’s not so much Apple with IFTTT, though you are definitely right, Apple do like simple.

Using Homebridge to link in IFTTT really just fakes a switch, or switches it’s open-source unofficial software after all so Apple aren’t going to help us here. But it does let you tie the IFTTT functions into HomeKit.
So you could for instance set a rule that says, if motion is detected on external sensor X, then switch on floodlight using smart plug x and record video on camera x.
Just what you’d expect really.

 

[Tec972]

Oh, I definitely agree with you that Apple has gotten sloppy, but Siri is hardly withering on the vine. The HomePod is based around Siri. They brought Siri to the Mac. They are clearly all-in on Siri.

Privacy is one factor, but I agree that it’s not the only one. I have no idea why Siri is so weak, nor do I have any idea as to why Apple hasn’t made any meaningful improvements. My point was simply that for an assistant to be effective, human or AI, it must know as much as possible about the person it is assisting. It needs to learn habits and patterns and have access to as much data as possible or it can’t be anything more than fancy voice commands.

I’m not particularly impressed by any of the current voice assistants, but I strongly believe that a conversational user interface is going to be the “next big thing”. Nothing I’ve seen from Apple suggests that they are leading the way with Siri.

I am not a heavy assistant user but there are many times for light things I have asked, Siri disappoints. I agree with you, but my statement is that Siri is weak on its own, and not what my expectations are for the leading tech company in the world. Especially when they were the first to come out with it. They could make it scour the internet as well as google can, all privacy aside. Remember also, apple does have name and adress, and always know location off your phone. I think part of the weakness is what they are using for reference. Didn't Siri refer to Wolfram Alpha or something like that, for many trivia type queries? Where of course google has GOOGLE.

There is no question in my mind Apple has been asleep at the wheel for quite a while. This is only one issue I have with them. There are many other things they just come out with and don't follow up on. Honestly they are greedy as hell and only care about their highest profit margin stuff. Everything else is secondary and usually comes out WAY AFTER everyone else has done it, as to not make it look like they are falling behind when they clearly are.

 

[Applebot1]

Had HomePod for 2 weeks and pair of Sonos 1’s since last December since linked to An Echo Dot. HP sounds better and for basic control of music and connected devices works really well.

Where it falls down as a smart assistant is everything else, because it’s not very smart. Thing is neither is Alexa, Google etc. They are just voice interfaces at the moment. I find Siri less fussy to control connected devices whilst Alexa you have to be specific.

With Alexa you can add and listen to entries in your google/iOS calendar but again only one account so that means everyone can access this.

The AI which can differentiate users will be the winner. There is a space for all these ‘assistants’ and I’m quite happy to have the best of all worlds as it’s certainly cheaper to have Alexa/Google around the home than Siri. Competition is good and voice interface is the way forward imo.