Apple HomePod Review: Sounds Sweet But Limited To Apple’s Ecosystem

If you’d like a smart speaker to enrich your home, you have a wide array of products on the market. However, if you want high quality sound and already subscribe to Apple’s ecosystem, then Apple’s HomePod is a good choice.

APPLE HOMEPOD REVIEW

The biggest weakness with the HomePod is how insular it is; it’s only compatible with Apple’s services, operating system and products, meaning it can only stream music from Apple Music. If you want to be able to stream from, say, Spotify, then this isn’t the smart speaker for you. Similalry, the smart devices required to run a HomePod are “iPhone 5s or later, iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation), iPad Air or later, iPad mini 2 or later, or iPod touch (6th generation) running iOS 11.2.5 or later.”

If all of that isn’t a deterrent, then the Apple HomePod is a solid choice. As mentioned in CNET’s review, Apple has been cooking its HomePod for six years, and it shows in its audio output. Moreover, the six built-in microphones should ensure Siri will always hear you regardless of whatever loud music you’re playing or where you’re situated in the room.

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A HomePod is fairly small, at 6.8 inches high and 5.6 inches wide, and it weighs 5.5 pounds. It comes in two colorations, white and space gray, both of which are elegant in their minimalistic design. Adorning the top of the machine are a few buttons that can alter the volume, and you can also hold down the center of the display to summon Siri if you don’t feel like doing so orally. However, unlike competing models from Amazon or Google, the HomePod doesn’t offer a method to disable its virtual assistant. A standard power cord is used to power the speaker.