Why do you feel a smaller model would be a mistake? I feel they need something to better compete with Alexa/Google Assistant. A HomePod "Mini" for around $150 would be great for my use so I could have them throughout the house. The current ones are too expensive imo to have them throughout the house. Sound quality closer to that of the Sonos: One with Siri/HomeKit support and AirPlay 2 priced between $150-$200 would be fantastic imo.
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HomePod HomePod WWDC Speculation
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Also, a cheaper model might be more like a Sonos One - you'd want a pair, and a sub eventually. More potential sales.
I would be glad if Apple made a smaller one. I do not agree that a smaller one would be more like a Sonos One, I have a house full of Sonos and the one beats the HP to my ears and my next door neighbor I borrowed it from. He returned his and went with Sonos. Hope if Apple does introduce another, they can get it out BEFORE Christmas!
Improve Siri's ability to work with HomeKit. On numerous occasions I have asked Siri, via the HomePod, to turn on a specific light. I get a response that she is unable because either the light is not in HomeKit or she doesn't understand the term (and she names something not even remotely close to what I had requested). The other evening I told Siri via HP to turn on the bedroom light. She responded that she could not as she did not understand the term beach! I immediately issued the same command via my iPhone and the light was turned on. I am starting to think that Siri drinks...
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can you not use the HomePod with homekit as of now? what the hell is this thing for then?
To make sure we're all talking about the same thing: you CAN use the HomePod to turn off the lights and stuff like that, but you can't use the HomePod as a HomeKit device itself, so you where you can set the lights to turn on everyday at sunset when someone is home, you can't let the HomePod do stuff automatically, which sucks monkeyballs...
Much like the Apple TV: it's visible in the Home.app, you can see if something is playing on it, but can't be automated to do stuff.
so you cant use it as a hub. but you can use an appletv as a hub so I guess it doesnt matter.
Allegedly you CAN use it as a hub. I haven't tried or figured out how to yet. I only use it to control lights (already have a separate hub for those) and thermostat (Ecobee) and it does fine for my expectations. I mostly got it to play music.
expensive device for just music but I guess a receiver and surround sound is much more
It is a hub, which only means you can control HomeKit stuff away from home on your wireless connection.
But it can't be used in HomeKit-automations aka scenes, thus you can't let the HomePod start playing music, or stop playing music based on time, location, etc. And that sucks, cause I would love my HomePod to start playing music to wake me up, or that it stops playing music when everyone leaves the house, etc.
There’s also scenes in HomeKit are you saying you can’t ask it to set the scene you make inside of HomeKit? I’m comfused by this.
An iPad can be a hub. An appletv is also a hub and both do all the HomeKit stuff that’s built into the app
HomeKit HUB = device that makes sure you can control HomeKit devices when not at home.
HomeKit device = something that gets controlled by HomeKit, either manually via the Home.app, Siri or automatically via scenes.
HomePod is a HomeKit HUB
HomePod is not a HomeKit device.
You can ask HomePod to start a scene.
You cannot use the HomePod as a device in a scene.
example: good night scene. You can include a light in the scene. When you say "hey Siri, good night". The light will turn off. You cannot integrate the HomePod in that scene. When you say "hey Siri, good night". The HomePod will keep playing music.
Can't break it down simpler than this, someone else will have to try if you don't get it now...
HomeKit device = something that gets controlled by HomeKit, either manually via the Home.app, Siri or automatically via scenes.
HomePod is a HomeKit HUB
HomePod is not a HomeKit device.
You can ask HomePod to start a scene.
You cannot use the HomePod as a device in a scene.
example: good night scene. You can include a light in the scene. When you say "hey Siri, good night". The light will turn off. You cannot integrate the HomePod in that scene. When you say "hey Siri, good night". The HomePod will keep playing music.
Can't break it down simpler than this, someone else will have to try if you don't get it now...
And that would be even more awesome if it's integrated in a HomeKit-scene. Whenever you go to bed: you say "Hey Siri, good night" and the lights turn off, all the doors lock and the HomePod in the bedroom starts playing for xx minutes and whatever you configured it to play.
And the other way around: set your alarm and the HomePod starts playing at 1% volume, slowly building up to wake you up gently.
So much fun stuff, why oh why Apple can't we do this stuff?!?!
And I'm looking at you WWDC to fix at least some of these things!
From your keyboard to Tim's ears......or something like that
. But I also appreciate the Apple folks for providing stereo and multi-room capabilities, as promised and in good time. Personally, I love sitting (the operative word :0)) here and imagining asking Siri to do many more things, or better yet, have the Scenes set to automate my entire day
. Despite my wishlist, HP has already made my day more seamless, e.g., just walk into a room and ask for what you want or use your voice to control music/podcasts when hands are covered in paint ,dirt, food, water. No wiping off hands or fishing the phone out of a pocket or having to pause a podcast on the phone so Siri can be summoned. So for now, given the ever increasing need to stay within the secure, private Apple ecosystem (yes, it has birds singing, water trickling, and is very peaceful) I have to just enjoy the new stereo HP's (love, love, love the sound) and wait for the day when Siri can cook, clean, wash the car, mow the lawn and do the laundry (probably not at this year's WWDC)
I don't think we'll see anything about HomePods at this WWDC, but I agree with ValO. The current HomePod is the "Mini" in my opinion and should be $199 ($249 absolute max). If they come out with another HomePod it should be larger, not smaller. I'd also love at least one input, but I doubt that happens.
With no inputs and no bluetooth, this is obviously a product for people already in the Apple ecosystem or trying to get people into the Apple ecosystem. Since that's the case Apple needs to look at it like gaming systems. Gaming systems would usually sell at cost, or at a loss even, just to get in peoples homes, with the goal of making profits long term on game sales. Apple should sell HomePods at cost, or at least lower than their typical profit margin, just to get in peoples homes, and make their money on Apple Music subscriptions.
This - I would absolutely love to use a few of these as my primary audio devices in my family room. I can do it now until I cannot connect my console, that is literally the only drawback I have. Add Atmos support while at it. HomePod imo is heads and tails over most of its "Smart Speaker Competitors" in terms of audio quality. It was also stupid simple to put a pair of them in stereo and link it up to my Apple TV.
Although, i want a bigger homepod, i wouldn’ t mind a smaller, more portable modell. But then it should have its own rechargeable battery , to make then really wireless, wouldn’ t mind hanging 2 of these on the wall of my living room with easy detachable wallmounts.
This would open the window for connecting more than 2 speakers to my apple tv for creating more of a surround effect in the future for hometheater, perhaps even atmos like effects.
I know we’ ll still have a long way to go before that. But it will take a long time for siri to be on par with other assistents, and apple now needs something more to differentiate itself from google and amazon offerings.
With giving more options in the hometheater arena, they could offer something more than the amazon and google offerings , and remain competitive with the likes of sonos, denon heos, etc.
This would open the window for connecting more than 2 speakers to my apple tv for creating more of a surround effect in the future for hometheater, perhaps even atmos like effects.
I know we’ ll still have a long way to go before that. But it will take a long time for siri to be on par with other assistents, and apple now needs something more to differentiate itself from google and amazon offerings.
With giving more options in the hometheater arena, they could offer something more than the amazon and google offerings , and remain competitive with the likes of sonos, denon heos, etc.
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There wont be a price cut for the HomePod at WWDC cause Apple is going to launch it in france, germany and canada at the current price on june 18th. Makes no sense to have the store entry up for it with 349€ here when they announce a price cut at WWDC.
That being said I hope we see general Siri improvements, not just limited to the HomePod, because Siri is really losing the AI race compared to other digital assistants.
That being said I hope we see general Siri improvements, not just limited to the HomePod, because Siri is really losing the AI race compared to other digital assistants.