HomePod YouTuber Brandon Butch on HomePod and New Architecture

[Itinj24]

Too many Threads here on how the HomePod is garbage so instead of copying this to every thread, hopefully this will reach a wider audience.

Basically, Brandon Butch, who’s running the 16.2 betas is saying that there is a much noticeable improvement with the HomePods and the new architecture. He’s been critical of the HomePod in the past. Skip to 1:00. Sounds promising...

 

[StumpyBloke]

There really isn't! Not in my experience anyway. Hand off to my HomePods doesn't work. Music controls still crap. Philips Hue scenes still delayed. It's no better whatsoever in my home. I would like to say "but it's early days" but this is Apple. They are hot crap at providing a reliable foundation when it comes to Siri and HomeKit (separate and together) so I hold out precisely zero hope.

 

[Itinj24]

There really isn't! Not in my experience anyway. Hand off to my HomePods doesn't work. Music controls still crap. Philips Hue scenes still delayed. It's no better whatsoever in my home. I would like to say "but it's early days" but this is Apple. They are hot crap at providing a reliable foundation when it comes to Siri and HomeKit (separate and together) so I hold out precisely zero hope.

Damn... I should've known better

And you have 16.2 running on all the devices?

 

[StumpyBloke]

Yup fully up to date running 16.2 on everything with the home upgraded to the new infrastructure.

 

[Itinj24]

Yup fully up to date running 16.2 on everything with the home upgraded to the new infrastructure.

🤦‍♂️

 

[B/D]

@Itinj24

Everything is already much much better for me on 16.1 non beta, so I look forward to the final release of 16.2 (I dont use betas)

It´s very interesting to me that he not only mention an improvement in Homekit/Siri/Handoff, but in pure music playback as well (less buffering/delays). Very promising.

 

[Solver]

The optional home upgrade for 16.2 beta 1 seems to be a little like going from Airplay 1 to Airplay 2 while breaking compatibility with Airplay 1. Hopefully future betas retain pre-16.2 compatibility. Or at the least, future 15.x upgrades add it.

 

[B/D]

The optional home upgrade for 16.2 beta 1 seems to be a little like going from Airplay 1 to Airplay 2 while breaking compatibility with Airplay 1. Hopefully future betas retain pre-16.2 compatibility. Or at the least, future 15.x upgrades add it.

Completely agree. In my house, two of my family members are still using Iphone 7 (their performance is suprisingly good and fluid on 15.7.1), and, with the update to the new home app architecture, they will no longer be able to use personal requests with the homepods or to access and control homekit accessories. In fact, they wont be part of my home anymore.

Hoping that a future IOS 15.8 add support for those devices in the new home app.

 

[Itinj24]

@Itinj24

Everything is already much much better for me on 16.1 non beta, so I look forward to the final release of 16.2 (I dont use betas)

It´s very interesting to me that he not only mention an improvement in Homekit/Siri/Handoff, but in pure music playback as well (less buffering/delays). Very promising.

Yeah music playback has regressed significantly as well with public version of 16.

 

[B/D]

@Itinj24

I know several people who have the latest 16.2 beta installed on their devices, and all of them are seeing significant improvements in both Siri/Homekit and Music playback with the new homekit architecture.

What I dont understand is the relation between the home app and music playback. Why an improved homekit architecture reduces delays and buffer when playing music?.

In any case, is more than welcome.

 

[Itinj24]

@Itinj24

I know several people who have the latest 16.2 beta installed on their devices, and all of them are seeing significant improvements in both Siri/Homekit and Music playback with the new homekit architecture.

What I dont understand is the relation between the home app and music playback. Why an improved homekit architecture reduces delays and buffer when playing music?.

In any case, is more than welcome.

That’s great news! Yeah as long as they fix the issues that all that matters.