"In addition, the Echo Dot was the best selling device at Whole Foods Market over the holiday weekend, which included the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days."
What other "devices" can one even purchase at Whole Foods?
Lots. You obviously didn't bother looking before saying something stupid.
I thought there were no stupid questions. Since you’ve apparently been to a Whole Foods, are you going to answer my question?
I'm not sure why anyone would want an Echo Dot in every room but that's just from my perspective. .
Easy way to control your home automation devices. My kids are too young for an iPhone or Apple Watch and they don’t carry their iPads around with them 24/7 like you would one of those other devices. So by having a Dot in their rooms they have the ability to control the smart lights, smart fan, and play music/check weather in their rooms. I’m not ready to spring for several $300 HomePods to give them this functionality but if Apple made a Dot style device I’d add it to the bedrooms while having 1-2 Homepods in the common rooms.
I don’t know how my kids survived childhood having to use light switches etc.
They are obviously very different devices: one wants to be a very high quality speaker designed by audiophiles, with a price to match. The other, a smart assistant, with the possibility of also having quality audio if you hook it up to quality audio system/speakers. The only thing they have in common is the smart assistant on each. For me the Dot is very useful, just ask for the news, and it gives you the NPR news brief. Ask most anything. For this price, it is worth it. Even when the HomePod comes out, it will not compete with the Dot at all. Apple, however, would be smart to make the Apple TV into a Dot. Put a speaker in the Apple TV, so you can hear feedback even when the sound system/TV is turned off. And a mic array, and there you go. Most Apple households have an Apple TV. Courage! Do it!
What does one have to do with the other? Or is the headline suggesting people bought the cheap Echo Dot because HomePod was delayed?
There is a growing smart home speaker/assistant market, and Apple is losing ground to competitors who not only have incredibly cheap products on the market, but full-fledged lineups at various price points. Apple, meanwhile, has yet to release its sole home speaker/assistant.
I'm not suggesting that people bought the cheap Echo Dot solely because the HomePod was delayed — the two products compete (or at least they will compete, at some point) in vastly different categories and price points. But the two stories are related because Apple continues to lose ground to competitors after missing their self-imposed shipping deadline. The HomePod delay is a gain for Amazon and Google, in both direct and indirect ways.
Thanks for the article. Amazon is a competitor to Apple in Tech(TV set top box, music streaming, digital movies , books, and music) , and tablets. so yes this is very relevant. I expect Amazon to release an "Alexa" phone a some point in the next two years. Expect it to be a forked android. Maybe free with advertising. Bezos is a tougher competitor than google. Amazon has to keep growing and cell phones could be the next market to enter.
Amazon tried phones and gave up.
Alexa is already available via the App in iPhone and Android
What does one have to do with the other? Or is the headline suggesting people bought the cheap Echo Dot because HomePod was delayed?
There is a growing smart home speaker/assistant market, and Apple is losing ground to competitors who not only have incredibly cheap products on the market, but full-fledged lineups at various price points. Apple, meanwhile, has yet to release its sole home speaker/assistant.
I'm not suggesting that people bought the cheap Echo Dot solely because the HomePod was delayed — the two products compete (or at least they will compete, at some point) in vastly different categories and price points. But the two stories are related because Apple continues to lose ground to competitors after missing their self-imposed shipping deadline. The HomePod delay is a gain for Amazon and Google, in both direct and indirect ways.
Is a late HomePod really something Apple needs to fret over? If Apple repatriates its overseas cash early next year, I'm sure that amount would more than offset a late HomePod. It would seem Amazon would have to sell tens of millions of Echo Dots this month to amount to any real revenue. Profit margins on Echo Dots couldn't be very high. Besides, what's to stop consumers from dumping their cheap Echo Dots and purchasing a HomePod when it's available. A few Echo Dots don't add up to very much in cost or do Echos have a large moat or something that consumers couldn't give up?
Repatriation of cash will not affect their profits in any way.
I'm not sure why anyone would want an Echo Dot in every room but that's just from my perspective. .
Easy way to control your home automation devices. My kids are too young for an iPhone or Apple Watch and they don’t carry their iPads around with them 24/7 like you would one of those other devices. So by having a Dot in their rooms they have the ability to control the smart lights, smart fan, and play music/check weather in their rooms. I’m not ready to spring for several $300 HomePods to give them this functionality but if Apple made a Dot style device I’d add it to the bedrooms while having 1-2 Homepods in the common rooms.
I don’t know how my kids survived childhood having to use light switches etc.
Lol...I don’t know either. They obviously don’t NEED it but neither does ANYONE else so...
"I expect Amazon to release an "Alexa" phone a some point in the next two years. Expect it to be a forked android. Maybe free with advertising. Bezos is a tougher competitor than google. Amazon has to keep growing and cell phones could be the next market to enter."
You know they already tried that with the Fire Phone with their Fire OS (forked Android) back in 2014, right? And that Amazon had to take a $170 million write-down? That's not to say that Amazon couldn't/wouldn't release a new phone, but their first one was a big loss and had no subsequent follow-up within the last 3.5 years. Now, I do think Amazon could be looking at a second run in mobile at some point because they do seem to be putting a lot into the Alexa/Echo line. But I also wouldn't be surprised if they didn't after the flop of the Fire Phone.
If only this was not poolitically brainwashed and giving incorrect answers device. It has been tested and it is disgrace to Amazon release this junk that cannot define some terms properly. It even does not know what abrreviation of "Nazi" come from and means giving wrong answer. Not a good way for kids to learn.
"In addition, the Echo Dot was the best selling device at Whole Foods Market over the holiday weekend, which included the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days."
What other "devices" can one even purchase at Whole Foods?
Lots. You obviously didn't bother looking before saying something stupid.
It's not stupid to ask a question. I don't know the answer either. If you do, please contribute to the conversation and include it. As is, you've contributed nothing.
Apple could come out with a HomePod mini but the untapped power is the Apple Watch. Not only does it accept Siri commands but it's strapped to your wrist and can provide location awareness (Beacons) that Echo Dots could only dream of.
Home Automation to me isn't "Automation" if I've got to utter every command. Gen 2 Home Auto needs to be aware of the physical presence of people in the home and act according to context and settings. It shouldn't leverage the cloud for anything but remote access.
People need to begin to ponder how their homes can become dynamic and far more interactive. Gestures can help but proximity and occupancy sensors are as vital.
We are still in the infancy of the connected home. Right now we still have our training wheels on.
Comments
I don’t know how my kids survived childhood having to use light switches etc.
Alexa is already available via the App in iPhone and Android
HomePod.
it's strapped to your wrist and can provide location awareness (Beacons) that Echo Dots could only dream of.
Home Automation to me isn't "Automation" if I've got to utter every command. Gen 2 Home Auto needs to be aware of the physical
presence of people in the home and act according to context and settings. It shouldn't leverage the cloud for anything but remote access.
People need to begin to ponder how their homes can become dynamic and far more interactive. Gestures can help but proximity and occupancy
sensors are as vital.
We are still in the infancy of the connected home. Right now we still have our training wheels on.