Sonos Complains About Apple's Restrictions on Third-Party Siri Access in Antitrust Hearing

[rainfan]

I tried Apple Music for the first time in forever today and I was shook that you can’t pick Echos as a device, it only showed me my the Apple TV. Reason enough I went back to Spotify. I can’t be bothered to connect via Bluetooth just to listen to music from AM

That has to do with Alexa skills. Alexa supports Apple Music and you have to implement it from the Alexa side. Because you don’t know how to use it doesn’t make Apple Music a bad service.

 

[crisss1205]

You don’t know what they “can” do unless you are on the product dev team. Regardless, what you’re actually saying is what they must do. Yet In a odd bit of business acumen, anti-Apple people taking to Apple boards to post how much Apple must change/be like their competitor is unlikely to be listened to by any Apple product dev or management team.

Apple likely passes up very considerable amounts of business to keep their engineering loop/eco the way they think is best for their users. That means very considerably less integration to the numerous third party products that the competition does frequently integrate with. So there is everybody’s choice. Yet for whatever reason, for a small slice of the competition’s user base, they just can’t live with the fairly contrasting choice in platforms. Hey, whatever gets you through the day. But at the end of that day the glee you feel because a third party files a lawsuit — then bashes Apple as an aside —is fleeting. Apple won’t be changing products or adding Siri (or anything else) because it makes you/Sonos happy.

Lol, what?

First, I am not anti-Apple and I am not bashing Apple. I have been a MacRumors reader for 13 years. You just joined 2 weeks ago. Second, I know they can do it because as I mentioned before, they have done it for AirPods on iOS.

I am just saying that it is kind of ridiculous that in order for product developers to take advantage of Siri, the user has to have a HomePod when like HomeKit they can make it work with an Apple TV or iPad.

Personally, I don't care since I already have a HomePod and a HomePod mini, but I can see where the problem would be for other uesers.

Many people on this forum just think that Apple can do not bad. Apple is perfect and they are gods. You are so blinded by fanboyism that you can't see where something may be anti-competitive.

 

[Absolute Trainwreck]

That has to do with Alexa skills. Alexa supports Apple Music and you have to implement it from the Alexa side. Because you don’t know how to use it doesn’t make Apple Music a bad service.

No, he’s right. You can’t just pick Alexa from the list of devices in the Music app like you can with Spotify. Going through Alexa to play music when you already have it ready and picked on your phone is not intuitive.

Apple Music doesn’t let you pick any network-connected devices other than airplay and Bluetooth ones. That’s a limitation by decision and not for any technical reason as, again, Spotify does all this, and does it quite well.

 

[I7guy]

[…].

Many people on this forum just think that Apple can do not bad. Apple is perfect and they are gods. You are so blinded by fanboyism that you can't see where something may be anti-competitive.

The issue with statements such as the above is no one has a lock in objectivity and everyone has a blind spot. That’s where the legal system come in, so arm chair lawyers and arm chair ceos (generally speaking) don’t rule the day.

Having said that I believe all these complaints are to open up access to apple customers, using apples ecosystem without paying for it….which is entirely possible….but not the way app developers want.

 

[incoherent_1]

Great to hear. You should contact Sonos and explain this to them, so they will understand that it clearly does not matter since you do not want it. That should solve their whole problem and get them to withdraw their complaints.

I always laugh at these kind of comments. People commenting on discussion boards criticizing people for commenting on discussion boards. LOL.

 

[Absolute Trainwreck]

I always laugh at these kind of comments. People commenting on discussion boards criticizing people for commenting on discussion boards. LOL.

Yeah no kidding. “Stop whining” like what else are forums for lmao

 

[crisss1205]

The issue with statements such as the above is no one has a lock in objectivity and everyone has a blind spot. That’s where the legal system come in, so arm chair lawyers and arm chair ceos (generally speaking) don’t rule the day.

Having said that I believe all these complaints are to open up access to apple customers, using apples ecosystem without paying for it….which is entirely possible….but not the way app developers want.

Exactly, that’s why I said it may be anticompetitive. I don’t have all the facts so I can’t be sure. That’s up to the courts and lawyers to decide which is why these sorts of complaints from Sonos are good.

 

[One2Grift]

Lol, what?

First, I am not anti-Apple and I am not bashing Apple. I have been a MacRumors reader for 13 years. You just joined 2 weeks ago. Second, I know they can do it because as I mentioned before, they have done it for AirPods on iOS.

I am just saying that it is kind of ridiculous that in order for product developers to take advantage of Siri, the user has to have a HomePod when like HomeKit they can make it work with an Apple TV or iPad.

Personally, I don't care since I already have a HomePod and a HomePod mini, but I can see where the problem would be for other uesers.

Many people on this forum just think that Apple can do not bad. Apple is perfect and they are gods. You are so blinded by fanboyism that you can't see where something may be anti-competitive.

Lol, wow…
Thanks not only for the comedy but also for taking this much time to come to an Apple board to let everyone know that Apple can in fact do bad(no!), that Apple in fact isn’t a deity(no way!), and letting everyone know who uses and likes Apple products that we all must open our eyes in away that only A-haters like you can. The good you are doing with your time here on this Apple board is, I’m sure, a genuine inspiration. If it was up to me your efforts would be rewarded with a free (and actual) HomePod and! an IPhone. Well, maybe that’s not best, you’d be here the next day writing “they are a god!”

Best of luck in your rabid quest to open the eyes of Apple user fans on Apple boards. Don’t give up, maybe one day they’ll change tobe just like Droid.

 

[ericwn]

I’ve been using 30+ devices on my network with HomeKit for years and have never _ever_ gotten a single delay or outage on any of my HomeKit devices. Can’t say the same for Nest, Ring, or Google Home.

You don’t sound like someone who set up their network properly.

I bet most people do not setup their network but are reliant on whatever their ISP drops off in terms of WiFi router/modem which often times are not adjustable for the end user.

 

[I7guy]

Exactly, that’s why I said it may be anticompetitive. I don’t have all the facts so I can’t be sure. That’s up to the courts and lawyers to decide which is why these sorts of complaints from Sonos are good.

It wasn't the anti-competitive part, it was the "blind fanboyism" and "applie is perfect" part. You're right about one thing, many people have a blind spot with respect to Apple and that blind spot extends to those who criticize Apple as well. All these complaints have one thing in common, imo, they want Apple to treat IOS as open as Windows. Apple does not want to do that, nor should it be forced to.

 

[crisss1205]

Lol, wow…
Thanks not only for the comedy but also for taking this much time to come to an Apple board to let everyone know that Apple can in fact do bad(no!), that Apple in fact isn’t a deity(no way!), and letting everyone know who uses and likes Apple products that we all must open our eyes in away that only A-haters like you can. The good you are doing with your time here on this Apple board is, I’m sure, a genuine inspiration. If it was up to me your efforts would be rewarded with a free (and actual) HomePod and! an IPhone. Well, maybe that’s not best, you’d be here the next day writing “they are a god!”

Best of luck in your rabid quest to open the eyes of Apple user fans on Apple boards. Don’t give up, maybe one day they’ll change tobe just like Droid.

You sound unhinged.

 

[crisss1205]

It wasn't the anti-competitive part, it was the "blind fanboyism" and "applie is perfect" part. You're right about one thing, many people have a blind spot with respect to Apple and that blind spot extends to those who criticize Apple as well. All these complaints have one thing in common, imo, they want Apple to treat IOS as open as Windows. Apple does not want to do that, nor should it be forced to.

You are missing the point of the entire article, and that point is about being anti-competitive. And what do you mean by open as Windows? Windows is not open.

 

[I7guy]

You are missing the point of the entire article, and that point is about being anti-competitive. And what do you mean by open as Windows? Windows is not open.

I was commenting on the lack of objectivity by all concerned. It seems to me to some degree all companies are anti-competitive...I don't even know if that is illegal to be anti-competitive, but the necessary regulatory bodies will sort this out.

Windows is open and while one doesn't have access to the source code, there are apis for everything. No restrictions on installing, no restrictions on rolling back, programs can install ring 0 level device drivers with appropriate permissions...etc.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Lol, what?

First, I am not anti-Apple and I am not bashing Apple. I have been a MacRumors reader for 13 years. You just joined 2 weeks ago. Second, I know they can do it because as I mentioned before, they have done it for AirPods on iOS.

I am just saying that it is kind of ridiculous that in order for product developers to take advantage of Siri, the user has to have a HomePod when like HomeKit they can make it work with an Apple TV or iPad.

Personally, I don't care since I already have a HomePod and a HomePod mini, but I can see where the problem would be for other uesers.

Many people on this forum just think that Apple can do not bad. Apple is perfect and they are gods. You are so blinded by fanboyism that you can't see where something may be anti-competitive.

This past week I’ve been re-thinking my home setup in terms of HomePod (OG).

it seems originally Apple was heavily focused on a hardware component to have a Apple Home Hub based on HomePod (OG) or iPad as it too can serve has a Home hub.

Apple has been making huge moves with AppleTV as a software on many smart TV’s and on Xbox and Playstation. I’ve just got a PlayStation 4 slim, and got a Sonos Roam.

I plan on using AppleTV on my PS4 Slim if I can watch ATV shows/movies & Apple Events directly and gift away my AppleTV4 to a friend (she has my olderATV 3). Just can’t get over the $69CAN for a remote as mine is cracked.

Either way … AppleTV will be on PS4/iPad … if I can get it to AirPlay to the Sonos Roam’s I have then I’m good.

Sonos has Alexa and Google Assistant via an App that connects to use on Sonos speakers, Apple already allows iTunes to stream to the Sonos ecosystem via connection and sign on. I’m a bit sceptical sharing iTunes via Sonos cause it needs your Apple iCloud credentials which I’m VERY wary to give out. I see no reason why Apple cannot do the same for Siri via an app?

That said I’d like a 1 time code/unique pin to be used to authenticate the Siri as a service on 3rd party hardware (generated on iOS/iPadOS/macOS) vs using our full iCloud credentials which could be harvested, shared and dimed out like a Vegas street worker.

 

[crisss1205]

This past week I’ve been re-thinking my home setup in terms of HomePod (OG).

it seems originally Apple was heavily focused on a hardware component to have a Apple Home Hub based on HomePod (OG) or iPad as it too can serve has a Home hub.

Apple has been making huge moves with AppleTV as a software on many smart TV’s and on Xbox and Playstation. I’ve just got a PlayStation 4 slim, and got a Sonos Roam.

I plan on using AppleTV on my PS4 Slim if I can watch ATV shows/movies & Apple Events directly and gift away my AppleTV4 to a friend (she has my olderATV 3). Just can’t get over the $69CAN for a remote as mine is cracked.

Either way … AppleTV will be on PS4/iPad … if I can get it to AirPlay to the Sonos Roam’s I have then I’m good.

Sonos has Alexa and Google Assistant via an App that connects to use on Sonos speakers, Apple already allows iTunes to stream to the Sonos ecosystem via connection and sign on. I’m a bit sceptical sharing iTunes via Sonos cause it needs your Apple iCloud credentials which I’m VERY wary to give out. I see no reason why Apple cannot do the same for Siri via an app?

That said I’d like a 1 time code/unique pin to be used to authenticate the Siri as a service on 3rd party hardware (generated on iOS/iPadOS/macOS) vs using our full iCloud credentials which could be harvested, shared and dimed out like a Vegas street worker.

What do you mean? Sonos does not ask directly for your Apple ID into. It uses the Apple Music SSO authorization. It literally opens Apple Music on your device and makes you allow access. No username and password required.

 

[DeepIn2U]

What do you mean? Sonos does not ask directly for your Apple ID into. It uses the Apple Music SSO authorization. It literally opens Apple Music on your device and makes you allow access. No username and password required.

it does via an integrated portal UI. There is no guarantee data input isn’t copied. Unless you can lol at the apps code line by line and understand it you can’t fully tell me sonos doesn’t now can you?

Originally when I attempted in the Sonos S2 app for the Roam I didn’t not see the jump to Apple Music app to authorize like what is showing now. I avoided it but now it jumps to Apple Music to authenticate which is strange.