[Technology] Anyone ordered the Apple HomePod?

[Icy Gull]

£319, seems expensive in comparison to a Bose Soundbox. All reviews welcome once it arrives on 09 Feb

I like Apple stuff.

Android users who hate everything Apple with a vengeance need not respond because I already know what you’ll be saying


https://www.apple.com/uk/homepod/

 

[LamieRobertson]

£319, seems expensive in comparison to a Bose Soundbox. All reviews welcome once it arrives on 09 Feb

I like Apple stuff.

Android users who hate everything Apple with a vengeance need not respond because I already know what you’ll be saying


https://www.apple.com/uk/homepod/

push £300 notes my way (i'll stand the nineteen quid) and i'll be happy to give you a review

 

[Chicken Run]

I like apple stuff too, what is this HomePod you talk of?

 

[wehatepalace]

Can’t order until Friday, but yeah I’ll be getting one.

 

[D Block blue]

£319, seems expensive in comparison to a Bose Soundbox. All reviews welcome once it arrives on 09 Feb

I like Apple stuff.

Android users who hate everything Apple with a vengeance need not respond because I already know what you’ll be saying


https://www.apple.com/uk/homepod/

Depends what you want from the device i guess, i to like Apple but went for Bose as it was my preference to what i wanted it to do. These gadgets Apple Homepod /Siri and Amazon Echo/ Alexa all seem a bit too big brother for me. The Bose is doing the job quite nicely, sound is absolute quality and didn't expect anything less.

 

[Icy Gull]

Depends what you want from the device i guess, i to like Apple but went for Bose as it was my preference to what i wanted it to do. These gadgets Apple Homepod /Siri and Amazon Echo/ Alexa all seem a bit too big brother for me. The Bose is doing the job quite nicely, sound is absolute quality and didn't expect anything less.

I have had a Soundbox for a couple of years now and love it. Have given up using my stereo as the sound from the Soundbox is brilliant, battery power lasts well and it is easily moved to wherever I want to listen. My son has Sonos in his kitchen, what a fecking nightmare, regularly drops the signal from the internet and it doesn’t sound as good as the Soundbox even though it has more speakers. Spend so much time fiddling with it that is just makes me angry.

Apple stuff is always good imo and it sounds like this HomePod could be an upgrade on the Soundbox but I would need it to be much better to splash £319

 

[Icy Gull]

I like apple stuff too, what is this HomePod you talk of?

Err check the link

 

[StonehamPark]

Crazy. Overpriced with limited functionality compared to Sonos and others.

I'm a transitioning Apple fan-boy, typing on a 2013 MacBook Pro with an iPhone 6 next to me.
The competition is just better imo and I'm steering clear of everything Apple from now on.

 

[Easy 10]

So its 4 times the price of an Amazon Echo.

What else does it do that the Echo doesn't, to justify that ? Asking for a friend.

 

[Icy Gull]

So its 4 times the price of an Amazon Echo.

What else does it do that the Echo doesn't, to justify that ? Asking for a friend.

I suggest that the sound quality will probably be much better?

I’d like to hear a review once someone on here gets one because I am only interested in the speaker sound, I have an echo dot but hardly use it and never for music because I use my phone or iPod linked to the Soundbox for that.

 

[Chicken Run]

Err check the link

Doh, does it help me read? [emoji23]

 

[Easy 10]

I suggest that the sound quality will probably be much better?

4 times better ?

Wow.

 

[Icy Gull]

4 times better ?

Wow.

Hence my wanting someone else to buy one and let me know

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

As a committed Google user, but not really into hating Apple anymore, I will be very interested in how this pans out. Amazon and Google are streets ahead in both presence on the market and in information. Alexa is great for Home automation and Google is fast catching up, but Apple has limited data compared to Amazon (shopping) and Google (everything). Siri is also way way behind Alexa as a virtual assistant and Alexa is itself far behind Google assistant in terms of ease of use, friendliness and info available.

It will be fascinating to see who ends up on top. My money in the short term would be on Amazon but I think Google is investing a LOT in Google Home and is rapidly catching up with an already superior product. It reminds me of the early Apple/Android days when Apple was clearly superior but Android made up the ground after a couple years.

 

[Mr Putdown]

Crazy. Overpriced with limited functionality compared to Sonos and others.

I'm a transitioning Apple fan-boy, typing on a 2013 MacBook Pro with an iPhone 6 next to me.
The competition is just better imo and I'm steering clear of everything Apple from now on.

Genuine question, what functionality has the Sonos got which this hasn’t?

 

[Bozza]

4 times better ?

Wow.

Not sure an Echo is fair comparison, and I say that as someone with one in my view right now.

The more appropriate comparison would be the Sonos 1 (with Alexa) which is £199.00.

So, is the Homepod 1.5 times better than the Sonos 1? I have no idea. But even as a devout Apple man in a house full of Apple kit, my investment in Sonos is already such that it would have to make something pretty compelling to make me considering changing.

Audio quality is unlikely to be the driver for that as we're not audiophiles. Whilst the Echo is not really suitable for home music, the Sonos speakers we have are perfectly adequate for us.

(And speakers can cost many tens of thousands of pounds - I'm not sure that their quality over the Echo is in direct comparison to the price differential)

 

[Sorrel]

The Home Pod can only play Apple Music subscription music, not tracks you might have in your local iTunes library unless those tracks were purchased from Apple.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

The Home Pod can only play Apple Music subscription music, not tracks you might have in your local iTunes library unless those tracks were purchased from Apple.

Not to mention any spotify, google music, deezer, amazon music listener will be left in the cold. I think restricting other services and especially restricting personal libraries in itunes is a big mistake.

 

[StonehamPark]

Genuine question, what functionality has the Sonos got which this hasn’t?

Apple Homebod restricted to Apple music and iTunes (bought) music.

Not to mention any spotify, google music, deezer, amazon music listener will be left in the cold. I think restricting other services and especially restricting personal libraries in itunes is a big mistake.

100%
The competition has really surpassed Apple (imo) over the past 2 years.
Word is that Apple are considering stopping production of the iPhone X less than one year after it was released due to low demand.
People can now buy better gear from the competition at lower prices.

 

[Icy Gull]

Not to mention any spotify, google music, deezer, amazon music listener will be left in the cold. I think restricting other services and especially restricting personal libraries in itunes is a big mistake.

Wow, that is a big negative, so I could only play iTunes music that I have bought unless I subscribe to Apple Music? I’m out!