HomePod review roundup: Apple's smart speaker sounds incredible, but Siri is lacking

As a home audio device, Apple's HomePod is a hit with critics, who have lauded the $349 accessory's superior sound quality. But the standalone speaker has not addressed the shortcomings of Siri, an area where HomePod lagged behind the capabilities of competitors Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 151

Apple employees can buy HomePod at half price for limited time

Apple employees are getting a late Christmas gift from the tech giant in the form of a 50 percent discount on the new HomePod speaker, which hits store shelves at $349 next week.

AppleInsider Staff 8 years ago 76

Apple Watch, AirPods drive Wearables rev 70%, outpacing size, growth of Amazon ads, Google Cloud, Alphabet Other Bets

Apple is criticized for making much of its revenues from one hit product: iPhone. However, its newest foray into Wearables has not only become its fastest-growing revenue source behind iPhone, but is also larger and growing more rapidly than other top tech firms' hyped future growth segments, such as Amazon's ads business, Google's Cloud and Alphabet's Other Bets.

Daniel Eran Dilger 8 years ago 28

Apple confirms HomePod audio sources limited to Apple Music, iTunes purchases, podcasts & AirPlay

In newly-published specifications, Apple has confirmed that streaming on the Siri-equipped HomePod — shipping Feb. 9 — will focus mainly on its own services.

Roger Fingas 8 years ago 106

Amazon's Super Bowl ad reveals the same old Alexa ahead of Apple's HomePod

After a teaser suggested new voice options could be coming to Alexa, the release of Amazon's full Super Bowl spot reveals it was all just a joke, setting up a primetime ad where celebrities substitute in for Alexa — and poorly.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 21

Ahead of Apple's HomePod launch, Amazon teases new voices for Alexa

With days to go before the launch of Apple's Siri-powered HomePod smart speaker, Amazon will unveil changes to its own personal assistant, Alexa, likely to come in the form of new voice options.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 32

Apple's HomePod will support iTunes Match streaming via Siri

Owners of the HomePod — shipping on Feb. 9 — should be able to ask Siri to stream any files uploaded to iTunes Match, not just material hosted on Apple Music.

Roger Fingas 8 years ago 49

Apple's first HomePod ads urge customers to 'order now'

Apple Kicked off promotional efforts for its new HomePod on Saturday with four short ads showing off the smart speaker's svelte chassis and unique LCD control panel.

AppleInsider Staff 8 years ago 113

A deep dive into HomePod's adaptive audio, beamforming and why it needs an A8 processor

The HomePod stands to be an audiophile's ideal speaker when it ships on Feb. 9, in no small part due to the considerable effort Apple has put into audio processing for the device. Audio expert Matt Hines of iZotope explains some of the technical hurdles Apple and other smart speaker producers have to overcome to provide a high-quality audio experience in a wide variety of environments.

Malcolm Owen 8 years ago 88

HomePod preorders begin via Apple, smart speaker arrives Feb. 9

Apple on Friday morning began accepting preorders for HomePod, the company's entrance into the smart speaker space with audiophile-focused premium sound. The $349 accessory will ship to users in two weeks, on Feb. 9.

AppleInsider Staff 8 years ago 80

How to buy HomePod using Apple's financing options

Apple's HomePod is shaping up to be a hot commodity for early adopters, but the premium speaker is priced well above competing products from Amazon and Google. If you want to score one on launch day, but lack the cheddar, you might want to consider Apple's financing options.

AppleInsider Staff 8 years ago 16

How and when to preorder HomePod: The official Apple Store app is your best bet on Friday

It's a mystery how high demand for Apple's HomePod will be, and it's also unknown how many units the company will produce for launch. Because of those unknowns, you'd better be ready come Friday — and early.

Neil Hughes 8 years ago 14

Sonos fires back at Apple's HomePod by offering a pair of One speakers for $349

Responding to the imminent sale of the HomePod, Sonos has cut the price of the Sonos One, selling a two-pack of the speaker for $349 — the same price as one HomePod.

Mike Wuerthele 8 years ago 77

HomePod hands on account finds sound superior to competitors, data only read to main user

A one-hour hands on period with the HomePod found sound quality beating out offerings from Google, Amazon, and Sonos, with security provisions preventing personal information from being read aloud by the HomePod when the primary user's main device isn't on the home network, preventing other users in the house from getting calendar items read or other personal notifications.

Mike Wuerthele 8 years ago 31

HomePod, the iPod for your home

Consider Apple's release of a new music-oriented device priced higher than its perceived competitors—which have already established an enthusiastic audience base over the past few years. How can it possibly survive in such a difficult position? The answer was: by being better in key ways that matter to users. iPod went on to become a legendary franchise in personal audio. Now Apple is doing the same thing again in home audio with HomePod.

Daniel Eran Dilger 8 years ago 79

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