The Apple HomePod becomes available on Friday 9th February 2018.
Here’s what you need to know
Price: £319
What’s The Competition?
The Apple HomePod is up against some solid competition. Namely the Amazon Echo and the Google Home.
Amazon Echo – £89.99
Google Home – £129.99
Clearly, it’s significantly more expensive than the competition, but is it worth it? Early reviews highlight the Apple HomePod has vastly superior sound quality and has been noted as having a deeper sound than a Sonos Play 3. The HomePod uses “spatial awareness” to sense its location in a room and adjust its audio accordingly. So it’s a great speaker, but what else has it got? Needless to say, the HomePod is equipped with Siri and it remains to be seen if it will play nicely with third-party apps. “Most smart speakers you see today are really AI helpers first and foremost,” an Engadget post explained. Yet speakers, in general, stand out from the pack because of sound quality, and that’s where Apple chose to focus its efforts. As the Endadget story put it: “Why would you even look at a standard Echo if you’re shopping in this price range and care about audio fidelity?”
Top features:
– Revolutionise the way you listen to music
– Siri’s here to help you with questions and commands
– Intelligent hub connects your smart home accessories
– Simple to setup in any home
Revolutionise the way you listen to music
The Apple HomePod brings together Apple Music and Siri in a compact, yet powerful speaker. No more navigating your iPhone for playlists and messing around with Bluetooth – just ask Siri to play something chilled, or catch up on TED Talks Daily podcast.
Apple’s engineers have been hard at work, packing in an A8 chip for super-fast buffering, a custom amplifier for deep, rich bass, and seven tweeters so your music sounds amazing wherever you stand in the room.
Siri’s here to help
Not sure if you need an umbrella? Be prepared for your commute with traffic and weather updates from Siri before you head out the door. Stay up-to-date with the latest news and sports headlines and ensure you don’t miss anything important by setting reminders and tasks.
It’s incredibly easy to stay in touch – send a text to let your friend know you’re on your way, or have a hands-free conversation by transferring a call from your iPhone.
Intelligent hub
HomePod forms the centre of your smart home by acting as a hub for your Apple HomeKit smart accessories. Ask Siri to dim the lights, make the downstairs cooler, and much more with just your voice.
Set a schedule and automate multiple accessories at once – turn off the lights, switch off plugs, and turn down the heating when you’re ready for bed with a command like “Goodnight”.
Simple to setup
You don’t need to be a tech wiz to get the HomePod setup. Simply plug it in and your iOS device will detect it so you can get started easily. The modern, compact design won’t look out of place in any room, sitting neatly on your kitchen counter or bedside table.
The HomePod intelligently adjusts the sound based on its location in the room, so you always get the best quality audio. There’s no need to shout either, it can hear your request from across the room, even when loud songs are playing.
