Apple has finally released the long-awaited HomePod, its smart speaker designed to rival Google’s Home and Amazon’s Echo. At $349, this $349 device is starting to ship, and early reviews have begun appearing online.
First and foremost, the HomePod is an worddocx impressive speaker: its audio quality surpasses that of many other models in its price range. Reviewers are generally delighted with its sound quality, though some have voiced concerns about its lack of functionality.
If you’re searching for an easy-to-setup smart speaker, the HomePod is your perfect option. With just an iPhone, Mac or iPad, it takes only hdxwallpaper moments to setup and activate Siri so that you can start listening to music right away.
The HomePod’s design is stunning, from telesup its rainbow-colored lights that flash when you call for it to the touchpad on top panel that serves as a control interface. It all adds up to Apple’s renowned simplicity in design.
Voice recognition on this device is far superior to that of rival speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo, offering accurate recognition happn even when you’re far away. Plus, its ability to speak loudly enough for everyone to hear you makes it one of the most natural-sounding devices on the market.
Apple has put a great deal of effort into perfecting their audio, and it shows. The speakers have been tuned to eliminate any unwanted reverbs roobytalk or noises from the room they are in. Furthermore, its soundstage surpasses that of any speaker in its price range and can be placed virtually anywhere without distortion.
Apple Music requires a subscription in order to access the service, and if you don’t already have one it will cost you $9.99 per month. That’s much cheaper than other comparable services and you get exactly the same streaming capabilities and playlists as with Apple’s own service.
Unfortunately, Apple Music with HomePod can only be enjoyed if your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Android phones will be completely excluded unless using Bluetooth – an unsuitable option for most people.
If you own an iPhone, however, connecting your HomePod to other devices with the same operating system (i.e. Apple TV and the HomePod app) is possible. With HomePod, you can play songs from other applications or stream them from streaming services like Spotify without using up extra storage space on other devices.
Apple devices can send text messages to other Apple devices, but only if they’re on the same wireless network. While this is an excellent way to stay in touch with friends, using other devices that aren’t on your same network may prove awkward.
It’s not a bad choice, but the HomePod may only appeal to those with an iPhone and Apple Music. Its acoustics are impressive and Siri voice assistant is invaluable; however, its limitations in features and smarts make it more of a luxury item than something essential.
