First look: Apple's HomePod speaker

24

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 61
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    It's not bad looking. But I'm turned off by the all-fabric enclosure. Either black or white, this thing is going to be hard to clean, and will show dust. I wonder if the enclosure can be completely removed to wash? All things considered, I'd prefer something more like the Harman Kardon Aura, which Apple used to carry in their stores. Its amazing actually how similar those products are, from a straight-up sound perspective.  The HK is interestingly enough an early 2000s-looking Apple design.
  • Reply 22 of 61
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    mac_128 said:
    It's not bad looking. But I'm turned off by the all-fabric enclosure. Either black or white, this thing is going to be hard to clean, and will show dust. I wonder if the enclosure can be completely removed to wash? All things considered, I'd prefer something more like the Harman Kardon Aura, which Apple used to carry in their stores. Its amazing actually how similar those products are, from a straight-up sound perspective.  The HK is interestingly enough an early 2000s-looking Apple design.
    Is it fabric? I assumed that was a wire mesh design.
  • Reply 23 of 61
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    tzeshan said:
    It needs battery like most BT speakers to make it really wroth a buy. 
    HopePod isn't supposed to be a portable speaker. 
    Why?  Isn't it a speaker?  Does it have BT? Does Apple want to get rid of wires? Even in a home this thing should be easy to move around.  Without battery this convenience is missing.
    avon b7
  • Reply 24 of 61
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tzeshan said:
    tzeshan said:
    It needs battery like most BT speakers to make it really wroth a buy. 
    HopePod isn't supposed to be a portable speaker. 
    Why?  Isn't it a speaker?  Does it have BT? Does Apple want to get rid of wires? Even in a home this thing should be easy to move around.  Without battery this convenience is missing.
    :sigh: This product is large and costly enough without adding in batteries so you can take it to the beach. If you need a portable speaker, not a home speaker, then get one or the many other products that are on the market, but don't make claims about what Apple "needs" to do.
    pscooter63StrangeDaysradarthekatanantksundaram
  • Reply 25 of 61
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    Soli said:
    tzeshan said:
    tzeshan said:
    It needs battery like most BT speakers to make it really wroth a buy. 
    HopePod isn't supposed to be a portable speaker. 
    Why?  Isn't it a speaker?  Does it have BT? Does Apple want to get rid of wires? Even in a home this thing should be easy to move around.  Without battery this convenience is missing.
    :sigh: This product is large and costly enough without adding in batteries so you can take it to the beach. If you need a portable speaker, not a home speaker, then get one or the many other products that are on the market, but don't make claims about what Apple "needs" to do.
    OK I get it.  First Apple said "HomePod is smart enough to sense where in the room it’s playing. " Then Apple said "When you add HomePod to multiple rooms, the speakers communicate with each other through AirPlay 2 — so you can play your music all around the house."Put another HomePod in the same room, and the two automatically detect and balance each other — for sound that’s even more lifelike."
    So Apple wants you to buy multiple HowPods for the house. 
  • Reply 26 of 61
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tzeshan said:
    Soli said:
    tzeshan said:
    tzeshan said:
    It needs battery like most BT speakers to make it really wroth a buy. 
    HopePod isn't supposed to be a portable speaker. 
    Why?  Isn't it a speaker?  Does it have BT? Does Apple want to get rid of wires? Even in a home this thing should be easy to move around.  Without battery this convenience is missing.
    :sigh: This product is large and costly enough without adding in batteries so you can take it to the beach. If you need a portable speaker, not a home speaker, then get one or the many other products that are on the market, but don't make claims about what Apple "needs" to do.
    OK I get it.  First Apple said "HomePod is smart enough to sense where in the room it’s playing. " Then Apple said "When you add HomePod to multiple rooms, the speakers communicate with each other through AirPlay 2 — so you can play your music all around the house."Put another HomePod in the same room, and the two automatically detect and balance each other — for sound that’s even more lifelike."
    So Apple wants you to buy multiple HowPods for the house. 
    Yes, and it would be nice if they offered some smaller and cheaper units with less bountiful sound for other parts of the house, and something portable, and something with a display, and something with a camera, but Apple always starts with a flagship and then works their way into other areas. Amazon did this with the Echo, BTW.

    Personally, I wouldn't hold my breath for the other devices, but I don't think anything is off the table for later on down the road if these are very successful. Compared to what I saw with the Sonos(?) review from AI recently, I think I'd rather just get two of these for playing audio in my living room.
  • Reply 27 of 61
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
  • Reply 28 of 61
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tzeshan said:
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
    That's not true. They clearly demoed a huge number of features for HomePad, not just as an Apple Music player.
  • Reply 29 of 61
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    In case you ever wondered what a Mac Pro wearing fishnet stockings would look like.
    Cue dustgate..
  • Reply 30 of 61
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    I reserve my judgement until I see and hear this in person. HomeKit and Siri aside, if the sound is as good or even better than Sonos, I would replace my PLAY 1 with it. Honestly PLAY 1 costed me $300 per unit and PLAY 5 is $650. I don't see Apple's offering overprice compare to this, but as I said, I need to hear the sound quality first to make a judgement. 

    Aesthetically wise it looks like a normal speaker with Siri animation on top. Simple, sleek and understandable.
    edited June 2017
  • Reply 31 of 61
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    Soli said:
    tzeshan said:
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
    That's not true. They clearly demoed a huge number of features for HomePad, not just as an Apple Music player.
    The other features can be done with iPhone. Most people have an iPhone. And HomeKit integration, that is rich people's hobby.  
    brucemc
  • Reply 32 of 61
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    tzeshan said:
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
    How do you know this as fact? 

    And the fact that they lowered prices on the macs discredits your hairbrained "Apple is greedy!" conspiracy theory. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 33 of 61
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    tzeshan said:
    Soli said:
    tzeshan said:
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
    That's not true. They clearly demoed a huge number of features for HomePad, not just as an Apple Music player.
    The other features can be done with iPhone. Most people have an iPhone. And HomeKit integration, that is rich people's hobby.  
    1) Youre missing the point --they demonstrated features showing it won't be just Apple Music. 

    2) HomeKit is not a rich person's hobby. You can get hardware at many price points and feature sets. It's hardly the Bill Gates mansion. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 34 of 61
    tzeshan said:
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
    If you don't own iPhone or iPad then HomePad would stream through Apple Music, but I would expect you can connect via AirPlay to stream from your apple devices to the HomePod.  Not confirmed but that's my expectation.
  • Reply 35 of 61
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    tzeshan said:
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
    Let's see:
    1. HomePod won't be a mass selling device. I kinda agree, iPhone is not a mass selling device either compare to Android. Your point is?
    2. 
    HomePad can only play Apple Music. You are wrong on this one, get the fact straight.
    3. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers. When you said 'only' next to 27 million, you sound like a douche. Any companies would kill to have that number of paid subs. Obviously Apple won't stop at 27 million either.
    4. 
    No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. And it will upgraded again tomorrow or day after tomorrow, that's nothing wrong for shares to be up and down.
    Soliwatto_cobraanantksundaram
  • Reply 36 of 61
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    tzeshan said:
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
    How do you know this as fact? 

    And the fact that they lowered prices on the macs discredits your hairbrained "Apple is greedy!" conspiracy theory. 
    Apple Music is a failure.  With the most powerful company in the world, after two years it is still not the number one music subscription service. And don't forget iPad had been the most popular music players for many years. 
    brucemc
  • Reply 37 of 61
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    iPod not iPad. 
    brucemc
  • Reply 38 of 61
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Soli said:
    mac_128 said:
    It's not bad looking. But I'm turned off by the all-fabric enclosure. Either black or white, this thing is going to be hard to clean, and will show dust. I wonder if the enclosure can be completely removed to wash? All things considered, I'd prefer something more like the Harman Kardon Aura, which Apple used to carry in their stores. Its amazing actually how similar those products are, from a straight-up sound perspective.  The HK is interestingly enough an early 2000s-looking Apple design.
    Is it fabric? I assumed that was a wire mesh design.
    Yeah, apparently fabric.
  • Reply 39 of 61
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    kevin kee said:
    tzeshan said:
    HomePod won't be a mass selling device.  HomePad can only play Apple Music. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers.  Apple is getting greedy and greedy.  No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. 
    Let's see:
    1. HomePod won't be a mass selling device. I kinda agree, iPhone is not a mass selling device either compare to Android. Your point is?
    2. HomePad can only play Apple Music. You are wrong on this one, get the fact straight.
    3. And Apple Music has only 27 million paid subscribers. When you said 'only' next to 27 million, you sound like a douche. Any companies would kill to have that number of paid subs. Obviously Apple won't stop at 27 million either.
    4. No wonder AAPL is downgraded today. And it will upgraded again tomorrow or day after tomorrow, that's nothing wrong for shares to be up and down.
    3. Apple Music is a failure just like iTunes is a failure. Netflix has dwarfed Apple. iBook Store is also a failure,  Look at Amazon. Apple fails on almost every content services. 
    brucemc
  • Reply 40 of 61
    dfoltzdfoltz Posts: 8member
    I'm excited about it and will pre order as soon as it's available. I thought they would price it much higher so I'm good with $349. I've never quite pulled the trigger on Sonus but I will for this. And not sure how Apple Music is a failure or iBooks for that matter. They are locked to an echo system so to compare them to products that aren't doesn't make sense. Apple uses Music and the iBookstore to monetize their already ridiculously profitable platform. It's all gravy for them. 
    watto_cobra
Sign In or Register to comment.