Apple’s devices have evolved hugely over the last 15 years or so, changing the brand from the rebooted upstart that gave us the iPod to the consumer tech powerhouse of today.
The HomePod takes the name of that iconic portable device, but a decade and a half on we’re faced with the same question posed by previous Apple gadgets: how much of a premium should you pay for owning a device that fits seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem?
Let’s not forget that the HomePod is a late entry to the smart speaker game, but that’s standard operating procedure for the Cupertino-based brand: let the rest of the industry stride ahead with a new form factor, identify the issues and then offer something that ‘just works’… and generally for a higher price than the competition.
That’s what’s happened with the HomePod, although not in quite the same way as before. There’s no denying that the sound quality of Apple’s speaker is top-notch, but in a marketplace where Amazon has such an entrenched smart speaker/voice assistant ecosystem and Google isn’t far behind, can a great-sounding-but-imperfect device be worth buying?
DESIGN
If you’re thinking of picking up the HomePod you may want to go with both hands to start with. That’s because this speaker is incredibly dense, packing 2.5kg of weight into its 172mm (6.8-inch) high frame.
And once its placement is locked in, you’ll need to answer one more question: how are you going to run the power lead that comes out the back? It’s the only wire on this device, and the only thing that resembles a port too. There’s no other physical connectivity on offer, which sadly means no aux-in port for connecting up a record player or other device.
All you’ve got is a squat little speaker covered in an ‘acoustic mesh’ that’s designed to protect the device while letting out as much sound as possible. It looks as unremarkable as you’d expect – there are no decorative flourishes here – and the only break in the mesh is on the top, where a round, reflective disc sits.
This is, as we’ve mentioned, where the glowing light pulses, signifying when Siri is listening and processing commands, and it’s also where you’ll find the plus and minus icons for adjusting the volume.
It’s a shame there’s no haptic feedback from the buttons, but given that most of the time you’re going to be controlling the HomePod with your voice it’s not a big deal.
And be warned – the Apple HomePod can leave a white ring underneath if you leave it on certain surfaces (mostly more expensive, porous wood). Apple has acknowledged this and says it should wipe off, or disappear after a few days, but other claims state that it can leave a more permanent ring. Either way, think about where you place the speaker, as the vibration causes a reaction between the silicon base to the wood thanks to the deeper bass.
In terms of processing, the HomePod is equipped with Apple’s A8 chip, created to be used in the iPhone 6 from 2015. That may sound a little old, but given that it was designed to power a whole smartphone, it’s actually quite a lot of power for ‘only’ a speaker, even one that’s sending and receiving commands to and from the cloud on a regular basis.
AUDIO PERFORMANCE
The audio quality of the Apple HomePod is, to put it simply, premium. It fills a room easily, with clear separation between all elements of music tracks.
It’s certainly at its best when placed against a wall, pulling apart the sounds well, with elements such as voices coming through with incredible breadth.
We’re probably all used to hearing music of various quality throughout our day, from poor-quality headphones to whatever speakers our TV has, so using the HomePod will expose a lot of people who aren’t audiophiles to new subtleties in music which they may not have heard before.
The bass, in particular, is strong, but like most sounds emanating from the speaker the audio is stable, with sharp notes clipping very well. Listening to electronica, in particular, offered a lot of clarity, while bass guitar sounds brought a slight reverberation to the sound – those with an untrained ear in particular will be blown away.
But it’s the fusion of all this that’s impressive – being able to hear thudding bass (a teeny bit too thudding at times, it has to be said) while at the same time being treated to crystal-clear vocals on top is a lovely experience.
Sometimes you’ll feel that things can get a little mixed together – bass guitar can be a touch muddy, or something like a violin can be easily overpowered – but compared to a cheap, low-end speaker the quality is just miles and miles ahead.
The HomePod is loud too, with Siri asking if you definitely want to do that when you ask the speaker to play at full volume. And if there are any sound effects on a track, be it water splashing, rain or a faux-vinyl sound, the crispness again is amazing.
In fact, the audio quality is so good that the biggest criticism we can level at the audio capabilities of the speaker is how you interact with it. Saying ‘Hey Siri’ over and over to achieve anything irks, and if you’re in a room with multiple people talking you’ll need others to shush otherwise their words are easily picked up, leading to random songs being played.
SOURCE | Apple HomePod review
MY VERDICT ABOUT THE APPLE HOMEPOD
The Apple HomePod is a great speaker. It delivers rich, clear sound that will impress anyone who listens to it, and every facet of the way it’s designed and delivers audio has been well thought through.
There are other speakers that can do more – basically anything that has Alexa inside, as there are more smart home-enabled devices that are compatible with Amazon’s standard and there are cheaper speakers that still sound pretty good. However, the HomePod sounds brilliant and offers some smart Siri functionality… as long as you’re deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem.
But there are still a few little bumps in there that remove some of the gloss – Siri not being able to search the web, a lack of Bluetooth streaming, or being able to control your Apple TV or iPhone directly from the speaker are omissions that many would like to have.
CHIP N DALE 