More fake news. Since Apple hasn't published any figures on sales of Homepods, the 600K or other figures are just made up figures by people to get articles out to get clicks, etc. No one knows if if is 300K or 3 million, etc. Just like the "analysts" saying the iPhone X was a flop and had poor sales.
Not at all surprising. The Google Home is much easier to use than Alexa or Siri. Then it is also just a lot smarter. More than anything the smart speaker is an extension to search so doubt we will see Amazon or Apple able to be competitive.
Who uses a smart speaker to search? When I want to look for something I'll use my browser. Very rarely can I get enough information in a sound bite from a speaker. Which is why I won't use one. I want to see actual documents or pics of things I'm looking for. Or comparisons (when shopping, which I admit I do a LOT of online).
I have no desire to play Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit with a "smart" speaker.
I guess time will tell, but to me this is the problem with the smart speaker category as a "game changer". The useful information you can get with "voice only" is relatively limited. Yes, there are clearly some "fun trivia" use cases, asking for a short answer on weather, and setting timers is good (which I do on my Apple Watch anywhere - the only limitation currently being multiple timers).
But really...after those niche cases, where is the meat? - When I really want to plan around the weather, I look at a screen that shows me the next 7 days with symbols for mixture, high & low temperature, % chance rain and wind speed. I would rather not have that read out to me by a smart speaker - Searching for anything other than a few words answer (or couple of lines in a drink recipe) is useless - Most of the time spent by users on their mobile devices is related to communication, social, video & other content viewing, and music. A smart speaker only can take on a couple of those roles with any value, and only from one location ...and on and on
So what are good uses for a (stationary) smart speaker? - Playing music - Smart home control - Short bits of info and communication
For some reason, and I think it is just the "tech media" always looking for what's next/cool/not-Apple that is enamoured with this category, and not asking any hard questions. And they think the future is multiple, small/cheap, smart speakers in every room in the house...as though mobile devices had never been invented...
Big deal! HomePod has been out not even 6 months. Its not a mature product. This is how Apple has rolled out almost everything for the past 10 or so years. I don't know where people get these ideas that Apple just comes in with a new product and takes over that market immediately. It didn't do that with iPhone, it didn't do that with iPod, iPad, Apple Watch, etc and its not going to do it with HomePod. None of those mentioned products were absolutely perfect (mature) either right out of the box.
I think Apple focused really hard on the hardware for HomePod. You can fix software issues later with updates, but you cannot fix hardware issues once a product has been shipped without doing full blown replacement programs. I think were all well aware what is wrong with HomePod, even Apple is. I bet Apple knew what was wrong with HomePod when it started shipping it, but again if you get the product to function you can fix and add features later. Again, this is no different from any other Apple rollout of a new product, even when Steve was CEO so I don't want to hear this crap where this isn't the Apple of old because its not true.
If its this time next year and Apple has HomePod rolled out to multiple countries and has made updates to the system (or hasn't made very many) and its still not doing well then we can talk. 5 months into a rollout...no way!
This just goes back to the post I made about brand new Apple product categories. Apple releases something, people put it down for one reason or another, say its going to fail. Apple makes updates to the products with bug fixes and rolls out new features, some of those same people still put it down. A year or so goes by and some of the major players are starting to see drops in that space, those naysayers are proven wrong yet again. Apple releases another new product in a new space and the cycle starts all over again. We went through this with iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple Watch (a big one!), and now HomePod. I prefer to take the wait and see approach.
Not at all surprising. The Google Home is much easier to use than Alexa or Siri. Then it is also just a lot smarter. More than anything the smart speaker is an extension to search so doubt we will see Amazon or Apple able to be competitive.
Who uses a smart speaker to search? When I want to look for something I'll use my browser. Very rarely can I get enough information in a sound bite from a speaker. Which is why I won't use one. I want to see actual documents or pics of things I'm looking for. Or comparisons (when shopping, which I admit I do a LOT of online).
I have no desire to play Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit with a "smart" speaker.
I guess time will tell, but to me this is the problem with the smart speaker category as a "game changer". The useful information you can get with "voice only" is relatively limited. Yes, there are clearly some "fun trivia" use cases, asking for a short answer on weather, and setting timers is good (which I do on my Apple Watch anywhere - the only limitation currently being multiple timers).
But really...after those niche cases, where is the meat? - When I really want to plan around the weather, I look at a screen that shows me the next 7 days with symbols for mixture, high & low temperature, % chance rain and wind speed. I would rather not have that read out to me by a smart speaker - Searching for anything other than a few words answer (or couple of lines in a drink recipe) is useless - Most of the time spent by users on their mobile devices is related to communication, social, video & other content viewing, and music. A smart speaker only can take on a couple of those roles with any value, and only from one location ...and on and on
So what are good uses for a (stationary) smart speaker? - Playing music - Smart home control - Short bits of info and communication
For some reason, and I think it is just the "tech media" always looking for what's next/cool/not-Apple that is enamoured with this category, and not asking any hard questions. And they think the future is multiple, small/cheap, smart speakers in every room in the house...as though mobile devices had never been invented...
Watching the news and they mention a location or term you aren't familiar with. "Hey *" Wife watching TV show and curious how old a particular actor is: "Hey *" Explaining something to son who has no idea what a particular word means: "Hey *" Looking at weekly grocery ad and there's a fish on sale but no idea based on their name for it what it is (becoming too common IMO): "Hey * " Watching TV and want to turn up the volume but the son has stuffed the remote somewhere, probably behind a couch cushion: "Hey * " Thought occurs to me about a call I should have made at work earlier, so I want to be reminded as soon as I get there in the morning: "Hey * " Wife tells you over dinner she called the vet and the pup has an appointment next Monday: "Hey * " We both are climbing in bed and wife says "Are you leaving the TV on?" (Of course not): "Hey * " Used up the last of the saffron tonight and want to be reminded to pick more up the next time I go to Publix: "Hey * " Wife at the store and I want to make a quick call to her about something we're out of but I'm too comfortable in my chair to go get my phone from the bedroom: "Hey * "
Heck there's probably a dozen other weekly uses I have for my voice assistant, many of them of no added benefit from a browser query. You haven't given yours a chance apparently.
Pointless data unless you can break it down to show the "premium sound" category. Apple will never sell a $50 Homepod. So if they have 7% of the total market that WILL translate to a much higher % of against their real competition of Sonos and the high-end Google device.
How big is the market for a premium sound smart speaker? I wish Apple would make a smart soundbar that I could connect to my TV.
FALSE!!!! “Google has ousted Amazon as the top manufacturer in the world”. Excuse me, they simply had ONE good quarter. That DOES NOT make them the top manufacturer in the world! They have a lot of catching up to do to sell as many devices as Amazon, the clear market leader. AI try to be more accurate in your analysis and reporting.
Further, you failed to make any comment or analysis comparing sales and profitability of the high end of this emerging market as most of the units sold by both Amazon and google are cheap, low quality products. What we are most likely to find is Apple’s HomePod being a leader in unit sales, quality and profitability with high end / more expensive offerings from the competitors. Just like in the smartphone category. Or at least Apple trending toward being the de facto leader at the high end, especially as it launches in more countries and its software is updated.
Lastly, your headline is shameful clickbat! We expect more from you.
Comments
But really...after those niche cases, where is the meat?
- When I really want to plan around the weather, I look at a screen that shows me the next 7 days with symbols for mixture, high & low temperature, % chance rain and wind speed. I would rather not have that read out to me by a smart speaker
- Searching for anything other than a few words answer (or couple of lines in a drink recipe) is useless
- Most of the time spent by users on their mobile devices is related to communication, social, video & other content viewing, and music. A smart speaker only can take on a couple of those roles with any value, and only from one location
...and on and on
- Playing music
- Smart home control
- Short bits of info and communication
For some reason, and I think it is just the "tech media" always looking for what's next/cool/not-Apple that is enamoured with this category, and not asking any hard questions. And they think the future is multiple, small/cheap, smart speakers in every room in the house...as though mobile devices had never been invented...
I think Apple focused really hard on the hardware for HomePod. You can fix software issues later with updates, but you cannot fix hardware issues once a product has been shipped without doing full blown replacement programs. I think were all well aware what is wrong with HomePod, even Apple is. I bet Apple knew what was wrong with HomePod when it started shipping it, but again if you get the product to function you can fix and add features later. Again, this is no different from any other Apple rollout of a new product, even when Steve was CEO so I don't want to hear this crap where this isn't the Apple of old because its not true.
If its this time next year and Apple has HomePod rolled out to multiple countries and has made updates to the system (or hasn't made very many) and its still not doing well then we can talk. 5 months into a rollout...no way!
This just goes back to the post I made about brand new Apple product categories. Apple releases something, people put it down for one reason or another, say its going to fail. Apple makes updates to the products with bug fixes and rolls out new features, some of those same people still put it down. A year or so goes by and some of the major players are starting to see drops in that space, those naysayers are proven wrong yet again. Apple releases another new product in a new space and the cycle starts all over again. We went through this with iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple Watch (a big one!), and now HomePod. I prefer to take the wait and see approach.
Wife watching TV show and curious how old a particular actor is: "Hey *"
Explaining something to son who has no idea what a particular word means: "Hey *"
Looking at weekly grocery ad and there's a fish on sale but no idea based on their name for it what it is (becoming too common IMO): "Hey * "
Watching TV and want to turn up the volume but the son has stuffed the remote somewhere, probably behind a couch cushion: "Hey * "
Thought occurs to me about a call I should have made at work earlier, so I want to be reminded as soon as I get there in the morning: "Hey * "
Wife tells you over dinner she called the vet and the pup has an appointment next Monday: "Hey * "
We both are climbing in bed and wife says "Are you leaving the TV on?" (Of course not): "Hey * "
Used up the last of the saffron tonight and want to be reminded to pick more up the next time I go to Publix: "Hey * "
Wife at the store and I want to make a quick call to her about something we're out of but I'm too comfortable in my chair to go get my phone from the bedroom: "Hey * "
Heck there's probably a dozen other weekly uses I have for my voice assistant, many of them of no added benefit from a browser query. You haven't given yours a chance apparently.