Tim Cook says hardware, software integration puts HomePod ahead of competition

Tim Cook on Tuesday offered a peek into Apple's ambitions for HomePod amid a landscape littered with smart speakers powered by Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, suggesting the key to success lies in Apple's ability to seamlessly integrate hardware and software

Speaking to the Financial Post during a visit to Canadian e-commerce firm Shopify, Cook cast doubt on the effectiveness of business models Amazon and Google are utilizing to spread their virtual assistant technology.

Specifically, the Apple chief questions whether licensing Alexa and Google Assistant to third parties, then launching first-party products like Echo and Google Home, is a counterintuitive strategy.

"Competition makes all of us better and I welcome it," Cook said. "(But) if you are both trying to license something and compete with your licensees, this is a difficult model and it remains to be seen if it can be successful or not."

Apple, on the other hand, operates largely within the confines of its own walled garden. Siri is not licensed to outside parties, meaning Apple and only Apple can produce a smart speaker featuring the voice activated assistant. Like other Apple products, this approach grants complete oversight of hardware, software and services integration, presenting an opportunity to create a user experience from whole cloth.

The approach has served Apple well; iPhone is a case in point.

Cook went on to tout HomePod's sound quality, an oft-repeated refrain echoed by other executives and HomePod promotional material.

"We think one thing that was missing from this market was a quality audio experience, a very immersive audio experience," he said. "Music deserves that kind of quality as opposed to some kind of squeaky sound."

Some view Apple as being late to the smart speaker party. Amazon, which in many ways created and leads the space, continues to spread Alexa through third-party partnerships and devices of its own design. It was Alexa integration that dominated this year's Consumer Electronics Show, with hardware manufacturers baking integration for the virtual assistant into everything from speakers to shower systems.

With Amazon clearly in the driver's seat, it remains to be seen whether Apple can convince consumers that sound quality and a premium user experience trump Alexa's wide array of service integrations and lower hardware price points.

HomePod goes up for preorder this Friday with initial shipments due to arrive on Feb. 9.

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121 Comments

libertyforall 1417 comments · 16 Years

About 6 years ago

The product seems half-baked, features are not ready at launch which should be core.

Rayz2016 6957 comments · 8 Years

libertyforall said:

The product seems half-baked, features are not ready at launch which should be core.

Having read this article, I don’t think it is half-baked. I’d say it’s light and fluffy on the outside, but a tad doughy in the middle.

I suspect that not many people are going to buy two, not straight off at least.

mjtomlin 2690 comments · 20 Years

libertyforall said:

The product seems half-baked, features are not ready at launch which should be core.

I completely disagree that it is missing core features. First of all, to make use of either missing feature, you need more than one HomePod or other AirPlay 2 device. “Core” features are those that allow the device to work as a Siri powered speaker that integrates well with Apple Music (or your iTunes library).

Having the ability to sync with a second HomePod to create stereo sound is an additional feature that will work when and only when you have a second HomePod in the same room.

Being able to play music multi-room is an AirPlay 2 feature, not a HomePod feature. When Apple finally releases AirPlay 2 all of Apple’s iOS devices will be able to play multi-room audio (Macs and Windows PCs have had the ability for a long time). Just as the AppleTV will have multi-room audio eventually, in its current state, it works just fine as is.

kevin kee 1289 comments · 10 Years

libertyforall said:

The product seems half-baked, features are not ready at launch which should be core.

It doesn't missing core features. It is missing an 'additional' features for wider stereo by linking multiple speakers. This is not a core feature, this is extra and you will get that. It is designed to be fully functional for 1 speaker with multiple tweeters. Stop whining and start thinking smarter.

Soli 9981 comments · 9 Years

libertyforall said:

The product seems half-baked, features are not ready at launch which should be core.

So just like every other new product category from Apple? I don’t see a problem with that. I do have a problem when products are released with features being touted that aren’t “fully baked,” like we’ve seen with all the me first companies. There’s a difference between being “half-faked” and being fully-baked but without the frosting and sprinkles that you expected.

PS: No offense, but are you even a consumer for this product category? It seems to go against all the things you rally against with technology and potential gov’t. spying.