friedmud

I may end up with one.  I have a Series 0 Watch, iPhone X and AirPods... so I could use it.  But I do like to have my phone "sitting up" on my nightstand.

For that I have a decent plug-based phone dock on my nightstand and at work I grabbed a Qi Wireless Dock (this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0IL0QX/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ).  I actually really love that dock so I'm thinking about getting another for home usage.

For my Watch I have a little Watch stand charger that works with all of my bands... and I only charge my AirPods like once every 2 weeks or so (depending on use).  The AirPods charge so quickly it may not be worth having this mat.

Anyway - I like the idea of just plopping down all my stuff and having it charge... but I'm not sure I can justify it.

genovelle said:

So, what commands are you using on these other devices that makes them more useful. I’m really curious here. I’ve seen lots of claims but no proof. In fact when Siri has been compared I feel it is more useful in real use situations. 

A few examples that Google Home gets right and all other smart devices (including Alexa) fail:

Me: Hey Google play my Morning Tunes playlist
Google Home: Plays _my_ Spotify Morning Tunes playlist

Me: (while Spotify is playing) Hey Google add this song to my library
Google Home: Ok, I added that song to your Spotify music library

My Girlfriend: Hey Google play my Morning Tunes playlist
Google Home: Plays _her_ Spotify Morning Tunes playlist

Me: Hey Google what's on my calendar today?
Google Home: What's on _my_ personal calendar

My Girlfriend: Hey Google what's on my calendar today?
Google Home: What's on _her_ personal calendar


I could keep going... but I don't need to.  Apple completely forgot that many people in this world are not single people living by themselves.  They also completely forgot that _Millions_ of people like Spotify...

It's hard to see how Facebook could make a dent here.  If they would have done this a couple of years ago then maybe.  The problem is that one of the major reasons to get a smart speaker is for home automation and there are already _three_ entrenched standards: Alexa, Google Assistant and Homekit.  Without the ecosystem of smart home gear that connects to the "Aloha" (or whatever) I can't see this working.

Secondly: There are _four_ entrenched music services: Spotify, Google Music, Amazon Prime Music and Apple Music.  I can't see Facebook making anything even close to good enough to pull people away from those.

I just don't see anyone buying this.

jdgaz said:

" ....have given the HomePod good grades for audio quality, but sharply criticized Siri as weak next to the AI assistants in...." Honestly when I want a speaker the first thing I gauge is sound quality. So, in my book Apple focused on the most important thing a speaker can do, that his deliver sound. Siri will come along and be just fine. And it will lily not invade my privacy or deliver purchases to my door that I didn't really want.

Fair enough.  Just keep in mind that many (I would wager: the majority of) people are not buying "smart speakers" mainly for their sound reproduction capabilities.  Just look at how popular the Echo Dot and Google Home Mini are.  They are buying them for the smart assistant first... and the sound quality second.

I, myself, bought a Google Home primarily for interaction with all of my smart home devices.  It is _amazing_ at that.  The fact that it also plays music well enough (and has great Spotify integration) is just a bonus.

Apple is targeting the music reproduction crowd... fine.  I think think they'll find that sales are going to be sluggish though... as that's not what the majority of the market is looking for when purchasing this type of speaker.

I think a lot of people have forgotten that Apple has already been down this road before: with the iPod Hi-Fi.  It debuted 12 years ago... at $350... and was aimed directly at audiophiles... it ultimately was forgotten and then discontinued a year later.  It suffered all the same criticisms as Home Pod: limited connectivity, limited compatibility, high price and competitors with better options....

Let's see how the Home Pod fairs....

Damn all of you people are cheap!

I'm no millionaire... but $35 a month barely even registers... especially for something I'll use every day. (If you don't watch much TV that's something altogether different)

With Verizon I was paying ~$250 per month for my cable package and internet.  I recently moved and decided to "cut the cord"... I'm now paying $60 for internet and $35 (extra) dollars to add live TV to Hulu.  That's a HUGE savings over what I was paying!

$35:
 - Two movie tickets and popcorn for 2 hours of entertainment
 - One dinner out with your SO at a mediocre restaurant
 - A bunch of wings from a good wing place to watch football
 - One 2m Lightning to USB-C cable
 - Parking in Downtown Boston for one day
 - A tank of gas
...

Or: An entertainment package that gives you ~40 live channels + an essentially infinite supply of VOD entertainment for a whole month...

I don't get it.

Bash Youtube TV because you don't like the interface... or you don't like the quality of the streams... or any other valid reason... but complaining about $35 is ridiculous...