I've never liked it when companies use their existing products to directly advertise at you. Apple did it with Sherlock in OS 8.6, it didn't go down well and was promptly removed - likely at the behest of Jobs. Again this is down to falling sales, which could be fixed overnight if Cook would suck it up and drop prices.
Putting Amazon Music on Echo is like the HomePod waiving a white flag of surrender.
To me it seems this may well be the case, but it also seems to prove Cook would rather give up on a product than drop its price. I have a HomePod and it is good; the sound is excellent, but it certainly isn't without flaws - looking at you Siri. Even if Siri was perfect, isn't worth its asking price. Knock £100 off and they'd sell like hot cakes.
What baffles me is the criticism of HomePods' Siri. Given most of us with HomePods have Watches, iPhones, iPads and Macs to ask Siri questions why on earth does it even matter if HomePods have Siri? The sole reason is surely to ask for music and she is excellent at that.
Putting Amazon Music on Echo is like the HomePod waiving a white flag of surrender.
Amazon recently became and official Apple reseller. I would suspect this was simply all part of the negotiations for that to happen. No big deal and has zero to do with HomePods. Some people want small speakers with genuine audiophile quality with beam forming technology with astounding clarity and incredible bass some people want a cheap gizmo they can ask trivia questions and don't care of it sounds like a 1980's transistor radio. It's simply horses for courses.
And some people think voice is the future and is more important than the sound quality of a speaker. If you think all that voice assistants are good for is asking silly trivia questions then all I can say is I hope Apple employees aren’t thinking that way. Anyway it’s weird to see Apple promoting Alexa. I wish they’d focus on voice and make a smaller companion to HomePod. As an Apple fan/shareholder I want Siri to be the voice assistant Apple Music users use not Alexa.
Putting Amazon Music on Echo is like the HomePod waiving a white flag of surrender.
Maybe someone with an Android and heavily into Alexa now has a reason to subscribe to Apple Music. I mean how stupid of Apple to make their subscription (i.e. PAID) music service more easily accessible on other platforms.
Apple Music is already on Android. Apple could have worked with Amazon to get Amazon devices to support AirPlay. Also if they support Bluetooth couldn’t you just use that to play AM content? This isn’t about Apple Music it’s about Siri vs Alexa.
seanismorris said: Apple isn’t interested in competing in the low/mid hardware space, but they still want to sell Apple Music subscriptions.
This guy gets it.
Well shoot then I guess Apple should be bringing it to cheap Google speakers too.
Just curious...does anyone know how much $$ Apple makes off an Apple Music subscription? Is it a profitable business for the company?
I've never liked it when companies use their existing products to directly advertise at you. Apple did it with Sherlock in OS 8.6, it didn't go down well and was promptly removed - likely at the behest of Jobs. Again this is down to falling sales, which could be fixed overnight if Cook would suck it up and drop prices.
Putting Amazon Music on Echo is like the HomePod waiving a white flag of surrender.
To me it seems this may well be the case, but it also seems to prove Cook would rather give up on a product than drop its price. I have a HomePod and it is good; the sound is excellent, but it certainly isn't without flaws - looking at you Siri. Even if Siri was perfect, isn't worth its asking price. Knock £100 off and they'd sell like hot cakes.
What baffles me is the criticism of HomePods' Siri. Given most of us with HomePods have Watches, iPhones, iPads and Macs to ask Siri questions why on earth does it even matter if HomePods have Siri? The sole reason is surely to ask for music and she is excellent at that.
Seems like Apple could be a bit more ambitious than that. Otherwise I could say what’s the point of HomePod, period? Sonos speakers are very good. Just AirPlay content there.
I just love reading the comments. Months ago Apple was criticized for not having the ability to play apple music on other devices. Now it is opening the walled garden and gets slammed. I personally dont need any Amazon or Google devices. Don't want to be spied on or sold without any renumeration. But great for Apple that they can extend the ecosystem a bit.
Putting Amazon Music on Echo is like the HomePod waiving a white flag of surrender.
Amazon recently became and official Apple reseller. I would suspect this was simply all part of the negotiations for that to happen. No big deal and has zero to do with HomePods. Some people want small speakers with genuine audiophile quality with beam forming technology with astounding clarity and incredible bass some people want a cheap gizmo they can ask trivia questions and don't care of it sounds like a 1980's transistor radio. It's simply horses for courses.
And some people think voice is the future and is more important than the sound quality of a speaker. If you think all that voice assistants are good for is asking silly trivia questions then all I can say is I hope Apple employees aren’t thinking that way. Anyway it’s weird to see Apple promoting Alexa. I wish they’d focus on voice and make a smaller companion to HomePod. As an Apple fan/shareholder I want Siri to be the voice assistant Apple Music users use not Alexa.
I would agree with you if the HomePods were the only Apple device but if you read what I wrote I said those of us with them have a plethora of devices to talk to Siri with already, I don't want to stop listening to the Eagles or cut off the sound to a movie to ask what the score is or how high is Everest.
I just love reading the comments. Months ago Apple was criticized for not having the ability to play apple music on other devices. Now it is opening the walled garden and gets slammed.
I was just dropping by to say that exact same thing.
The rule is quite simple: ding Apple first, come up with the reasons later.
Putting Amazon Music on Echo is like the HomePod waiving a white flag of surrender.
Amazon recently became and official Apple reseller. I would suspect this was simply all part of the negotiations for that to happen. No big deal and has zero to do with HomePods. Some people want small speakers with genuine audiophile quality with beam forming technology with astounding clarity and incredible bass some people want a cheap gizmo they can ask trivia questions and don't care of it sounds like a 1980's transistor radio. It's simply horses for courses.
And some people think voice is the future and is more important than the sound quality of a speaker. If you think all that voice assistants are good for is asking silly trivia questions then all I can say is I hope Apple employees aren’t thinking that way. Anyway it’s weird to see Apple promoting Alexa. I wish they’d focus on voice and make a smaller companion to HomePod. As an Apple fan/shareholder I want Siri to be the voice assistant Apple Music users use not Alexa.
I would agree with you if the HomePods were the only Apple device but if you read what I wrote I said those of us with them have a plethora of devices to talk to Siri with already, I don't want to stop listening to the Eagles or cut off the sound to a movie to ask what the score is or how high is Everest.
So then one could argue what’s the point of HomePod? To take share from Sonos (who probably don’t sell a ton of speakers anyway)?
I enabled it on my 3rd generation Echo Dot. I wanted to see how music sounded on it, because on the 2nd generation, it completely SUCKED!!! Now on this 3rd generation version, it's on par with Google's Mini, which I also have. Good for low volume, background music. I got them mainly to play around with a little.
But I also just got a second Homepod because of the $100 off. I think $349 is a little much, but at $249, I think that's a reasonable price. 1 sounds really good, but 2, together and it sounds fantastic. You can hear the stereo separation. Better BASE, and even louder. 1 at MAX is not that loud, but 2, WOW.
I think Apple really needs to come outwith a $99 version. A Mini Homepod. I got my 2nd & 3rd generation Echo Dots this time a year when they are selling for $29. So a new one this year and a new one last year. Same with the Google Mini, $29 which I got last year. Even though normal price is $49. So even normal price, the HomePod is still $300 more expensive. That's what people are comparing. Not the higher priced Amazon and Google options which are still cheaper, other than Google's Home MAX at $400.
To me, seems strange for Apple to go this route. I think the smarter move is allowing Spotify on the Homepod. But from what I'm seeing, Apple cares more about services, in this case Apple Music, over the hardware of Homepod. If I'm not in the Apple Ecosystem, why would I buy a Amazon Echo device and then get Apple Music? I'd just get Amazon Music, or Spotify. So to me, I think the better move for Apple would have been releasing a $99 Mini Homepod.
I just love reading the comments. Months ago Apple was criticized for not having the ability to play apple music on other devices. Now it is opening the walled garden and gets slammed. I personally dont need any Amazon or Google devices. Don't want to be spied on or sold without any renumeration. But great for Apple that they can extend the ecosystem a bit.
Well apparently you will be able to use Apple Music natively with Sonos now...using Alexa not Siri. I guess Alexa having an Apple Music skill is more important than Apple creating a SiriKit domain for Music. <facepalm>
Smart move. People with Amazon devices aren't going to get the home pod. They probably wouldn't have known Apple music can now be played on those devices. 4 times in 2 weeks may be overkill but that's 1 every 4/5 days.
I just love reading the comments. Months ago Apple was criticized for not having the ability to play apple music on other devices. Now it is opening the walled garden and gets slammed. I personally dont need any Amazon or Google devices. Don't want to be spied on or sold without any renumeration. But great for Apple that they can extend the ecosystem a bit.
Well apparently you will be able to use Apple Music natively with Sonos now...using Alexa not Siri. I guess Alexa having an Apple Music skill is more important than Apple creating a SiriKit domain for Music. <facepalm>
Scott got fired for Maps. Whoever approved this notification should get fired and fined!
I agree, Apple should fix their crap instead of handing the work onto others.
I've thought for some time now that the day that Apple purchased Beats and seriously delved into the content industry will go down as the day Apple lost its soul. The iPhone Music app fine for using Apple Music streaming, but it seems to want to fight you over managing and using your own music. At that point, it's not longer an iPhone - it's an Apple Phone. The "i" is ... maybe not gone, but it's being shown the door. The trend isn't just limited to the Music app. The iPhone (and Apple Watch) seem to want to decide what I want to do at any given moment, and they do a very poor job of it. Sadly, as the hardware begins to mature and no longer sustains aggressive update cycles (as happens in any industry), expect this to get much, much worse. Hopefully Apple finds their way back at some point, or at least stops trying to ram this down our throats Microsoft-style.
So agree . Too many things aren’t delightful - there a pain.
I just love reading the comments. Months ago Apple was criticized for not having the ability to play apple music on other devices. Now it is opening the walled garden and gets slammed.
I was just dropping by to say that exact same thing.
The rule is quite simple: ding Apple first, come up with the reasons later.
Didn't you know...this is where all of the Armchair Executives, CEO's, Engineers, designers, etc hang out?
The notifications are plain wrong and shouldn’t be happening, unless users have specifically opted into these sort of messages. I suspect here in the EU they are actually illegal without that explicit consent, which would explain why I haven’t seen them.
That said I’m not sure why anyone is surprised at the expansion into Alexa. The HomePod is pretty obviously a flop, and even if it weren’t there are still a huge amount of Echo’s out there. Apple Music isn’t like other closed off parts of the Apple ecosystem, it’s still trailing longer established competitors like Spotify, it cannot survive only within the walled Apple orchard when competing services are available literally anywhere and on anything. It needs to be on Echos, Android phones, toasters, you name it. Then it’s more attractive, and draws people in, and in turns helps to drive sales of other Apple hardware and services.
Just because a few people on AI don't have Homepod for whatever reason that means it's a flop? Get over yourself.. Obviously Apple Music isn't like closed off parts of the Apple ecosystem since there has been an Android App available for the service quite some time.
if Apple keeps products in it's ecosystem it's short sited.. if they open their devices up they are desperate and failing? How many products that aren't made by Apple are called a flop when it's been sold for less than a year, with some countries/markets only starting to sell it in the last 3-6 months? Hahaha what a joke..
I'd prefer push notifications be limited to matters directly relating to my use of a particular app, service, or device. If they become just another outlet for spam, everyone will turn them off and they'll no longer serve any useful purpose. The particular case in the article kinda skirts the line, as one might argue that the information does apply directly to the Apple Music service. Sometimes Apple crosses that line, though.
Every once in a while when I open the Music app on my phone, instead of seeing my library I'm presented with a full-screen ad for Apple Music. Interrupting my use of a product for which I've already paid doesn't make me suddenly want to subscribe, it just causes me to feel animosity towards Apple over what feels like an intrusion. It's kinda like getting into your car, turning the key, and instead of the engine starting a voice says "Would you like to take a test drive in a different kind of vehicle?" No, I'd like to start my car.
The Apple TV is similar though less obvious. Making the first window of Movies and TV Shows a sales pitch that I then have to navigate away from to access what i've already bought is an unwelcome nuisance. Not a deal-breaker, but still a little annoying.
The notifications are plain wrong and shouldn’t be happening, unless users have specifically opted into these sort of messages. I suspect here in the EU they are actually illegal without that explicit consent, which would explain why I haven’t seen them.
That said I’m not sure why anyone is surprised at the expansion into Alexa. The HomePod is pretty obviously a flop, and even if it weren’t there are still a huge amount of Echo’s out there. Apple Music isn’t like other closed off parts of the Apple ecosystem, it’s still trailing longer established competitors like Spotify, it cannot survive only within the walled Apple orchard when competing services are available literally anywhere and on anything. It needs to be on Echos, Android phones, toasters, you name it. Then it’s more attractive, and draws people in, and in turns helps to drive sales of other Apple hardware and services.
Just because a few people on AI don't have Homepod for whatever reason that means it's a flop? Get over yourself.. Obviously Apple Music isn't like closed off parts of the Apple ecosystem since there has been an Android App available for the service quite some time.
if Apple keeps products in it's ecosystem it's short sited.. if they open their devices up they are desperate and failing? How many products that aren't made by Apple are called a flop when it's been sold for less than a year, with some countries/markets only starting to sell it in the last 3-6 months? Hahaha what a joke..
You’re fixating on the flop comment, presumably because it’s personal to you in some way - but like I said, even if it isn’t Alexa integration still makes sense.
Smart speakers and streaming music are two growing areas where Apple has a foothold but NOT any kind of commanding lead, hence their need to be as open and accommodating as possible.
Comments
Well shoot then I guess Apple should be bringing it to cheap Google speakers too. Just curious...does anyone know how much $$ Apple makes off an Apple Music subscription? Is it a profitable business for the company?
The rule is quite simple: ding Apple first, come up with the reasons later.
But I also just got a second Homepod because of the $100 off. I think $349 is a little much, but at $249, I think that's a reasonable price. 1 sounds really good, but 2, together and it sounds fantastic. You can hear the stereo separation. Better BASE, and even louder. 1 at MAX is not that loud, but 2, WOW.
I think Apple really needs to come outwith a $99 version. A Mini Homepod. I got my 2nd & 3rd generation Echo Dots this time a year when they are selling for $29. So a new one this year and a new one last year. Same with the Google Mini, $29 which I got last year. Even though normal price is $49. So even normal price, the HomePod is still $300 more expensive. That's what people are comparing. Not the higher priced Amazon and Google options which are still cheaper, other than Google's Home MAX at $400.
To me, seems strange for Apple to go this route. I think the smarter move is allowing Spotify on the Homepod. But from what I'm seeing, Apple cares more about services, in this case Apple Music, over the hardware of Homepod. If I'm not in the Apple Ecosystem, why would I buy a Amazon Echo device and then get Apple Music? I'd just get Amazon Music, or Spotify. So to me, I think the better move for Apple would have been releasing a $99 Mini Homepod.
What next?
"Enjoy Apple music on your android iKnockoff today!!"
Scott got fired for Maps. Whoever approved this notification should get fired and fined!
I agree, Apple should fix their crap instead of handing the work onto others.
(10 months ago)
(5 months ago)
(54 days ago)
Every once in a while when I open the Music app on my phone, instead of seeing my library I'm presented with a full-screen ad for Apple Music. Interrupting my use of a product for which I've already paid doesn't make me suddenly want to subscribe, it just causes me to feel animosity towards Apple over what feels like an intrusion. It's kinda like getting into your car, turning the key, and instead of the engine starting a voice says "Would you like to take a test drive in a different kind of vehicle?" No, I'd like to start my car.
The Apple TV is similar though less obvious. Making the first window of Movies and TV Shows a sales pitch that I then have to navigate away from to access what i've already bought is an unwelcome nuisance. Not a deal-breaker, but still a little annoying.
Smart speakers and streaming music are two growing areas where Apple has a foothold but NOT any kind of commanding lead, hence their need to be as open and accommodating as possible.