Roger Morph 
The Apple HomePod is a voice-activated smart speaker released in February 2018. Unfortunately, it was discontinued at the end of 2020, leaving consumers without an Apple-branded smart speaker option. The device enabled Siri to respond to voice commands and allowed users to play music, podcasts, audiobooks, and more while controlling other smart home devices such as lights and thermostats. Apple designed the HomePod to sound superior to other competitors in its class but was criticised for limited functionality compared with other speakers and an expensive price tag of $349.
In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of the HomePod so you can decide if this speaker was right for you before it was discontinued. We’ll look at audio quality and how competitive it was with similar models on the market and compatibility with your current devices. We’ll also weigh in on convenience features like its portability, connectivity options, artificial intelligence capabilities, controls, setup process, affordability as much more of what it offered consumers when it was available on the market.
Apple’s homepod discontinued
The Apple Homepod was a popular smart speaker device before it was discontinued. It featured a modern design with high quality sound to deliver an immersive audio experience. It was also equipped with advanced features like Siri that enabled users to control the device with their voice. Let’s explore the advantages of using the Apple Homepod.
High-quality audio
The audio quality of the Apple Homepod is one of its most appealing features. It has high-end features and a powerful amplifier, providing up to 360-degree sound. The tweeters and woofers move in synchronicity to create an immersive sound experience that faithfully reproduces music across all genres. Furthermore, thanks to its spatial awareness feature, the Homepod can adjust the audio output depending on where it is placed in a room. This ensures that music sounds at its absolute best no matter where the speaker is.
Easy setup
Setting up an Apple HomePod is straightforward. It’s designed to be as basic as possible, so you only need to plug it in and use either the Home app or the HomePod app to connect it with your other smart home devices. The setup is completed by connecting it to your Wi-Fi and your Apple account, selecting a medium support language and selecting one of the three voice search options (Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant). Once all this is done, you can start using the HomePod. It also supports ‘AirPlay’, so you can easily stream music from within almost any compatible iOS or macOS device.
Smart home compatibility
Apple Homepod is compatible with many smart home technology systems, making it an ideal choice for homeowners who want to integrate their digital assistant with their current home automation devices. With Apple’s Home App, HomePod can be connected to a wide range of third-party devices that support Apple’s HomeKit platform, such as Philips Hue lighting, Ecobee thermostat, August locks, and more. HomePod also works with popular streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music to provide voice-controlled music streaming throughout the house. Additionally, through Apple’s AirPlay 2 protocol, users can connect multiple HomePods in different spaces via Wi-Fi to create a multi room sound system. This allows you to stream audio from one speaker to multiple speakers in different locations at once.
Cons of Apple Homepod
Apple recently discontinued the HomePod and the disappointment amongst the Apple fans is understandable. However, this device, while beloved, was not without its shortcomings. Let’s take a look at the cons of the Apple HomePod that may have contributed to its discontinuation.
Expensive
The Apple Homepod is one of the most expensive products of its kind on the market. As a result, it may not be suitable for those working with a limited budget. The Homepod retails for $299, making it around three times as expensive as rival products from companies like Sonos and Google. Additionally, accessories such as extra cables can be costly. Therefore, investing in a product that offers better value for money may be more beneficial without sacrificing quality and features.
Limited compatibility
When Apple first released the Homepod, it was designed to be used exclusively with Apple products, such as the iPhone and iPad. This means other products such as Android phones and Windows computers could not connect to the Homepod. The Homepod also had limited connectivity with third-party music streaming services. For example, Spotify had limited support when Homepod was first released but has since been granted full support. Unfortunately, Chromecast and AirPlay 2 only work if you have an iOS device. This further limits compatibility for those who do not own iOS devices.
Lastly, Siri on the Homepod is not nearly as well-developed or feature-rich as competing voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant – a major drawback for users expecting access to more advanced features. In addition, since Siri does not offer the same level of accuracy or function as those assistants, tasks like setting up multiple timers or playing music from specific albums can be challenging using just the Homepod alone. As a result of all these limitations in compatibility and features, many users find other devices more attractive. In addition, they sometimes sacrifice sound quality to gain better access to their favourite streaming services and smart home integrations.
Limited voice commands
One of the main disadvantages of Apple’s Homepod is the limited voice commands that it can recognize. The Homepod uses natural language understanding abilities to interpret commands, but most users even find that it doesn’t always accurately perform voice commands. This weakens the Homepod’s competitive position compared to other virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, who can recognize a wider range of voice commands. Furthermore, Apple’s Homepod is limited in its integration with other devices and services — Siri, Apple’s assistant, cannot interact with more than a few third-party applications such as Ubers and ESPN. Finally, Apple’s Homepod is incompatible with Spotify or Amazon Music; users must use either an iTunes library or an Apple Music subscription to stream music.
Alternatives to Apple Homepod
Apple’s HomePod smart speaker was discontinued in early 2021, leading many consumers to look for alternatives. There can certainly be advantages to having such a device, but of course, there are some drawbacks to consider. In this article, we will explore the various alternatives to the Apple HomePod and examine their respective pros and cons for those in the market for a new smart speaker.
Amazon Echo
For dedicated Apple fans, the sad news of the discontinuation of the Apple homepod in March 2021 means that there are now few choices for quality voice-activated intelligent speakers. In terms of replacing your existing Apple Homepod, a viable alternative is Amazon’s Echo.
The Amazon Echo offers a comprehensive range of features, including: Alexa voice assistant; 10,000 plus skills and counting; access to streaming audio from more than 60 music channels including Amazon Music, TuneIn and iHeartRadio; play songs from subscription services such as Amazon Music Unlimited, Spotify and Pandora; ask questions related to news, weather and sport scores; connect to other devices on IFTTT or Samsung Smartthings to control lights and appliances with voice commands; set alarms and reminders as well as access movies and audiobooks on Audible.
In terms of sound quality, the Echo generally delivers crisp sound output. It is not quite as powerful or accurate as some high-end audio equipment but certainly suits most needs in terms of providing good speech recognition capabilities with Alexa’s assistance.
The Amazon Echo comes at a much lower cost than the Apple Homepod when it was available on the market before its discontinuation in March 2021. Therefore if you are looking for an excellent alternative for your existing Homepod at an affordable price point – the Amazon Echo could be just what you need!
Google Home
Google Home is a device launched by Google in 2016 as an alternative to Apple’s HomePod. It may not be as premium of a product as the HomePod, but it offers features that make it an attractive choice.
Like Apple’s HomePod, Google Home allows users to control their smart home devices with voice-activated commands. Additionally, because it is powered by Google’s suite of products—including its smart assistant and Chromecast—users can use various features such as streaming music and videos, setting reminders, and accessing information from the internet.
Google Home also has a few advantages over Apple’s discontinued device. Firstly, it is significantly more affordable than the $349 price tag of the original HomePod with prices ranging from $49 to $179; secondly, its speakers are claimed to be louder than those on the competing product; thirdly, integration with services like YouTube Music (which has millions more songs than Apple Music) means users have access to an extensive library of content.
However, one potential downside of Google Home is that although integration with many services makes it feature-rich, these third parties are not subject to stringent quality control that might be expected from any products built in-house by Google or Apple. As such reliability might vary across different providers.
Sonos One
Sonos One follows the same design as the original Play:1, but it packs an improved acoustic package with new speakers and a tweaked equaliser. In addition, it is compatible with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant, which makes it an ideal choice for those that use multiple voice assistant options. The device also supports multi-room audio, allowing you to easily sync audio between rooms.
Sonos One has stellar sound quality thanks to its two custom-designed drivers on either side of one tweeter. This gives the speaker a wider soundstage than most other small-sized wireless speakers. There is plenty of bass and clarity here with balanced sound across all ranges — mids, highs and lows. In addition, the Sonos app gives you total control over your audio setup, enabling you to manage all your devices from one interface through intuitive grouping and zoning operations feature that can give you more personal control over individual devices or groups of them via zone linking technology. You can even link the system to Apple Music if you’re using an iPhone or iPad.
tags = apple tech, apple company, tech company, apple homepod, original homepod, apple homepod homepod homepod apple carepanzarinotechcrunch, apple original homepod, apple homepod apple carepanzarinotechcrunch, homepod mini, homepod discontinued, apple smaart speaker, smart home control, intelligent assistant
