HomePod: Launched on June 18, Apple's Smart Speaker arrives after the battle

 June 18th, the Apple HomePod connected speaker arrives on the market after its competitors of Google and Amazon. Too late to win?

APPLE

The war of intelligent speakers and personal assistants is well and truly declared with the launch by Apple of its HomePod this June 18th.
Quite expensive, this speaker arrives in France a few days after those of Amazon, which breaks the prices.

The assistants SIRI, Alexa and Google Assistant will have to convince ... and the public eager to be equipped succeed to make its choice ...
"Say SIRI, what future for HomePod"? While smart speakers shipping the Google assistant began their hexagonal crusade in August 2017, Apple's HomePod arrives in France this Monday, June 18. SIRI, Apple's home concierge, is on the move and ready to answer the questions and requests for interactions with connected objects that we want to make to her voice. "Say SIRI, play Eddy De Pretto"; "Say Siri, turn on the bedroom" ...


HomePod arrives in France five days after Amazon and Alexa, the girly assistant of the web-merchant. Wednesday, June 13, the firm of Jeff Bezos has launched in our country Echo speaker and Echo Dot who embark Alexa.

They also respond to the voice commands of their user. The war of intelligent speakers will, therefore, take place. Last on the starting line, can the soldier Apple stand up?

HomePod: benefit to music

Apple's smart speaker does not want to play in the same yard as its sisters. Weighing 2.5 kg for 172 mm high by 142 mm wide, HomePod contains seven tweeters each with their own amplifier and a woofer. With HomePod, Apple first wants to focus on music and "push" its music services: Apple Music (45 million titles) and iTunes Music, its web radios (Beats 1 Live Radio) and podcasts. Only they are accessible to the voice.

With HomePod, Apple pushes its musical ecosystem including Apple Music.
If you subscribe to Spotify or Deezer, you will have to go through a classic streaming from your smartphone (in AirPlay, the wireless distribution format of the firm to the apple). It's pretty frustrating when we invested the 349 euros claimed by Apple for its HomePod ... This is even more for owners of Android smartphones, forced to pass their turn: HomePod is not compatible! Cunning, the competitors of Amazon and Google are agnostics themselves. They work with iOS and Android, but also with most streaming music services. Still, the sound of HomePod is, according to many opinions, considered globally "excellent": "An exceptional audio quality for a compact speaker" (CNET); "A rich and powerful sound" (iGeneration) ... By cons, SIRI would not be as smart as its rivals in terms of research. To be checked during a test.

It is therefore with real strengths, but also perfectible points (and a high selling price!) That HomePod advances in the world of smart speakers. Amazon has also undermined the field of its competitor by offering since June 13 Echo speaker at least 50% (introductory price) to its customers: Echo Dot (29.99 euros); Echo (49.99 euros) and Echo Spot (64.99 euros). Surely, they will not compete on the audio quality ...

Interesting alternative; the brand Sonos launches a pack of speakers Sonos One 399 euros (until June 30), only 40 euros more than a speaker HomePod.

Their compatibility with Alexa is effective. Will follow that with SIRI (in July), then with Google Assistant. And the sound of the Sonos One is really good.