Apple HomePod review and features

March 28, 2020

Apple HomePod shines with good sound and the seamless integration of Apple Music – which can also be expected, since a subscription to the speaker is necessary. So you can not only ask Siri for the song playback, but intuitively ask her questions about the band members or the release date. The Apple HomePod wants to be the music nerd that has always been missing in their own circle of friends – and it is.Read this Apple HomePod review.

Apple HomePod music experience compared to other smart health home speakers

The HomePod has “spatial awareness” and can localize itself

But how does Apple’s HomePod prove itself compared to other smart health home speakers? “Breakthrough health home speaker” was the working title of the Apple HomePod, its motto “reinvent health home music”. Apple would probably have preferred Microsoft to work with Harman Kardon Invoke would not have come up with the same idea. Nevertheless, it naturally makes sense to equip a smart health home speaker with good sound and to be able to use it as a wireless speaker for multiroom applications.

Apple’s HomePod has 7 tweeters with 360 degrees of surround sound. With the 6 microphones, it not only accepts voice input, but also automatically measures the nature of the room using sound waves. In this way, HomePod can avoid unnecessary sound and, for example, use the wall as a sound box – for a surround sound experience. Amazon’s Echo, on the other hand, only uses the volume of the bass reflex housing that is built into the device.

The first smart speaker from Apple – impressive sound, powerful and perfect for HomeKit control

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The subwoofer of the Apple HomePod is equipped with a decent high excursion bass for such a small speaker. The distance to the bass membrane, in which it can move linearly, is a full 20 millimeters. This makes the band more stable and less distorted in the depths. Another plus for HomePod: For even more sound power, two Apple speakers can do the same Multiroom system, collaborate or be paired into a stereo environment.

Both Echo and HomePod are equipped with a digital sound processor (DSP). The DSP mixes the individual tones optimally. Apple emphasizes that HomePod uses the same A8 chips that are used in iPhones. “The biggest brain ever in a speaker,” says Apple spokesman Phil Schiller. Apple places a lot more emphasis on audio output than Amazon. Since music is somehow an Apple hobbyhorse, it is not surprising that the long-awaited loudspeaker gets another plus for the sound quality.

Apple HomePod in Smart health home: Siri as voice control for HomeKit-compatible devices

With all the fuss that Apple’s new speaker actually plays good music and is a music connoisseur, you could almost forget that it is actually much more than music. Namely, the conquest of the living room through a cloud-based personal assistance. Apple’s voice assistant Siri knows the news and the personal schedule. Depending on the equipment of the Smart health home with Apple HomeKit-compatible devices, it can control the light and the heating by voice command in the open space. Since the HomePod is linked to the Apple health home app, access to the Apple HomeKit Smart health home works from anywhere in the world.

Apple HomePod – installation and commissioning

The Apple HomePod speaker and the iOS device that is used for the set-up must be in the same WiFi network. An iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 11.2.5 or newer is required for commissioning.

Commissioning the Apple HomePod works easily and in 10 steps:

  1. Activate the iCloud keychain on the iOS device

  2. Enable 2-factor authentication on the iOS device

  3. Activate Bluetooth on the iOS device

  4. The health home app and the Apple Music app must be on the iOS device.

  5. Connect the HomePod to the mains and wait for a pulsating white light on the top of the device

  6. Hold the iOS device against the HomePod. A pop-up called Configure should automatically appear on the display. Tap on Configure

  7. Enter the 4-digit PIN that Siri will announce on HomePod

  8. Now assign a room to the HomePod, allow the “Personal Requests” function and select the settings for iCloud, the health home network, Apple Music, and other services for the automatic set-up. If a second HomePod speaker is set up at the same time, activate the option “Use both speakers as a stereo pair”

  9. Wait for the automatic set-up to finish.

  10. Siri then welcomes new HomePod users and guides them through various examples of voice control

Smart speaker Apple HomePod – compatible accessory

The first smart speaker from Apple – impressive sound, powerful and perfect for HomeKit control

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The additional option for Apple devices, the Protection Plan or AppleCare is also available for the HomePod speaker – and compared to the premiums for Apple Watch or iPhones, the insurance package for the Smart Speaker is inexpensive. AppleCare + costs 45 euros for HomePod users and has the following advantages:

  • Technical support

  • Additional hardware service options

  • Software support, e.g. B. for using AirPlay 2, connecting wireless networks and questions about the health home app

Here the system is behind AppleCare + explained exactly.

Apple HomePod in the Review overview – the advantages

  • Easy setup

  • Very good sound for intelligent speakers

  • Great design

Apple HomePod in the Review – you disadvantages

  • Can only be used with Apple devices (iOS)

  • Little compatible health home devices

Review Apple HomePod – all important tests

The Apple HomePod is smart AND sounds good. Can the Echo wrap up?

If you look at the tests from Apple HomePod, the reviews of the Review editors coincide with those of us. Apple’s HomePod can be fully convincing in terms of sound, but offers less functionality than an Amazon Echo or Google health home speaker.

  • Chip’s Review experts are impressed by the seamless integration of the Apple HomePod into the Apple universe and the excellent sound properties of the HomePod, but complain about the high price.

  • The testers from stern see the Apple HomePod as a “good addition” to other devices and services from the manufacturer.

  • The ZEIT ONLINE Review titled “Sounds great, talks nonsense”. HomePod also convinces with its sound here, the deep roots in the Apple cosmos as well as the sometimes advertising-related communication with Siri is criticized.

  • ComputerBild awards the in their Review Review grade 3.0 (“SATISFYING”). Here, too, the testers attest that Apple HomePod offers excellent sound for a smart speaker, but has gaps in its range of functions.

Review conclusion: Apple HomePod – intelligent speaker with top sound

Perhaps one or the other had hoped for Apple’s answer to Echo and Co. This time, the innovator did not reinvent the wheel, but instead did everything to make the Apple HomePod the perfect assistant for music lovers. The target group is clear: Apple fans or those who want to become one. After all, the HomePod only controls Homekit-compatible devices and mainly streams through Apple Music. Probably only Macians will have the 350 euros left for the smart health home control with outstanding sound.

Apple HomePod speakers with Siri: offers and availability

Apple’s suggested retail price for the HomePod is 349 euros. HomePod can be obtained from the following sales channels:

  • Apple stores

  • apple.com

  • Apple Store app

  • Selected Apple distributors

The first smart speaker from Apple – impressive sound, powerful and perfect for HomeKit control

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Apple HomePod Alternative – Smart home Primus Amazon Echo

Apple is known for its user-friendly device operation, which is why it is always difficult for Apple users to find a real alternative. In the smart health home discipline, however, Amazon Echo can still be considered the class leader. Due to the early market entry and widespread use, the number of compatible devices is larger here than Apple’s HomePod. Through the Bluetooth coupling of external boxes with Amazon Echo, its sound properties can also be subsequently improved. The retail price for Amazon Echo is 99.99 dollars.

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Data protection – how secure is HomePod?

The question of security is always such a thing when it comes to smart health home speakers. One knows about Amazon’s Echo that he listens consistently, but only passes sequences to Alexa after the activation word via Alexa. However, it is uncertain whether Amazon only uses the incoming data to improve the software or to market products on its platform. Apple emphasizes that every HomePod user receives an anonymous Siri ID and that the voice commands are encrypted and sent to the cloud. Only the user knows who or what uses Apple HomePod – as far as the official information is concerned. The fact that Apple really attaches great importance to security is shown in the lengthy procedure up to the award of the “works with HomeKit” seal. Not many manufacturers make it into the Apple ecosystem. When it comes to smart homes, Apple clearly wants to shine not only with design, but also with trustworthiness.

Apple HomePod review overview: Technical details

  • Apple-designed woofer with A8 chip for bass management through real-time software

  • 7 tweeters with audio beamforming that balance the sound

  • Automatic room orientation for determining the position in the room

  • 6 microphones with echo canceling for entering voice commands

  • Siri waveform light signals whether Siri is active

  • Touch sensors as an additional navigation option

  • Automatic pairing of two speakers to the wireless multiroom system and stereo music playback

  • Dimensions: 172 x 142 mm (height x width)

  • Weight: 2.5 kg

  • Colors: space gray or white

  • Supported audio formats: HE ‑ AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 kbit / s), Protected AAC (from the iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 kbit / s), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV and FLAC

  • Connection: 802.11ac WiFi with MIMO, direct guest access, Bluetooth 5.0, support for speakers in multiple rooms with AirPlay 2

AB SMART HEALTH health home & BUILDING REVIEW