With more than a month late, the guys from Cupertino has officially announced the reservation and launch date of the HomePod. Starting on January 26, Apple will open the reservation period and it will not be until February 9, when the first users will be able to start enjoying HomePod. Its price: $ 349 plus tax.
As Apple announced in the keynote in which it presented the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the HomePod will initially be available in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, three of the countries where Apple's share of mobile devices is the highest. While we wait for it to arrive in our country, in this article we show you everything you need to know about HomePod.
The next countries where the HomePod will arrive will be France and Germany, who will be able to enjoy the HomePod from spring. The HomePod does not reach the market to compete with the Amazon Echo or the Google Home, since it competes in another league, the league of quality speakers with wireless connectivity, where we can find manufacturers like Sonos, Bose or Bang & Olufsen. Despite being managed by Siri, the idea and the real utility of this speaker does not lie in using it as a personal assistant, a market on the rise and in which Apple has not finished entering despite the growing interest on the part of users. An almost direct rival that the HomePod will face is the Google Home Max, a speaker, this if intelligent, from Google that is priced at $ 399 and with which the guys from Mountain View want us to enjoy so much musical quality as an assistant with whom we can perform the same tasks verbally as with our mobile device.
At its launch, it will only speak English
As is customary in recent years, Apple wants prevent the HomePod from becoming a speculation device, and that it begins to be available in countries where it was not initially planned, hence the only three languages available initially will be American English, British English and Australian English. Apple has been forced to take this measure, especially to eliminate the smuggling of this product in China, one of the countries where the demand for Apple products has a lot of pull and this new product should not go beyond the norm.
AppleCare + Price
Apple makes the AppleCare + warranty extension program available to us, a program that guarantees us the replacement of the device up to two occasions, as long as the data that the device has suffered, is accidental. This program does not affect cosmetic damage as long as HomePod continues to function properly. The AppleCare + price in the United States is $ 39. Unfortunately, the AppleCare + guarantee is not available outside the United States, so in Spain and the rest of the countries you will have to settle for AppleCare, a program that depending on the Apple device we have, is not worth it most of the time .
Compatible with multiple users
One of the problems that users face with the launch of the iPhone X is that Face ID is only compatible with one user, which prevents any component of our family from using the device without previously knowing the unlock code . Being the HomePod, a speaker intended for family entertainment, the personal assistant Siri, be able to identify all users living under the same roof, so that any family member of ours can interact with him without limitations. We will also be able to use it to make calls wirelessly, ideal for when our hands are busy with more important tasks that prevent us from interacting with the iPhone.
Does not require Apple Music
Unlike what many users might think, and being a device designed to listen to music, it is not necessary that we pay for an Apple Music subscription to be able to enjoy the HomePod, since this device allows us to play all the songs that we have previously purchased. on iTunes, or we intend to buy. It also allows us to play our favorite podcasts as well as the Apple Beats1 station, a station that to listen to, no Apple Music subscription required.
If our intention is to enjoy the music that we have in iTunes, we have bad news, since the HomePod does not have the Home Sharing function, so we will not be able to enjoy the music stored on our Mac or PC through the HomePod, provided that we have it downloaded to our iPhone or iPad and reproduce it using the AirPlay function. The same is true of Spotify, the world's leading music streaming service. If we do not intend to switch to Apple Music, the application will allow us to send the content of Spotify through the AirPlay function and control playback through Siri commands.
HomePod Specifications
Inside the HomePod we find a woofer that integrates a custom amplifier to reproduce a wide range of deep and rich bass. It uses an advanced algorithm that continuously analyzes the music and dynamically tunes the low frequencies for smooth, enveloping sound. This device has a set of seven tweeters located around the device, each containing an amplifier and transducer and is precisely designed to focus the sound for directional control, allowing you to create a sense of integrated space, consistent sound and high fidelity throughout the room you are in.
The HomePod is managed by the A8 chip (the same one found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus), a processor that although it is true is not Apple's latest in processors, since the current processor used in the iPhone X is the A11 Bionic. Thanks to this processor, the HomePod can analyze both the ambient noise and the acoustics of the room where it is, being able to listen to us through music to modify the reproduction and use of the device aided by an advanced noise cancellation system.
At the top of the device we find a touch screen with which we can manage device music playback, in addition to controlling the volume, functions that we can also perform through voice commands. Thanks to the second generation of AirPlay, AirPlay 2, we can jointly manage all the music that is played on all the HomePods that we have in our home, with which we can also offer a stereo system with which we can immerse ourselves in our music favorite.
The HomePod has dimensions of 172 x 142 mm, a weight of 2,5 kilograms, Bluetooth 5.0 connection and Wi-Fi 802.11ac MIMO. It is compatible with the new wireless communication protocol of Apple AirPlay 2, with which we can manage the audio independently from our device on one of the HomePods or synchronize them for all of them to play the same content in all the rooms where they are.
Compatible with HomeKit
Apple's home automation platform, HomeKit, has at its disposal a large number of devices compatible with this platform, a platform that we can control from our iPhone with the Home application, or through voice commands. To make the interaction with HomeKit even easier if possible, with the first Apple speaker we are going to be able to ask Siri to turn off the lights, raise the blinds, turn on the heating, put the air conditioning ... all without the need to physically interact with the application or have to invoke Siri with our iPhone or iPad.
It is not a bluetooth speaker
Although it looks like a bluetooth speaker, the HomePod it is not capable of being used or connected to any other device that is not manufactured by Apple, despite having bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. The only way to communicate with Apple products is through AirPlay, so unless we have an Apple ¨TV or any other Apple product we will not be able to connect it to our television, console or Android device. Having the bluetooth 5.0 chip, it is to be assumed that over time, and in future updates, Apple will unblock access via bluetooth to this device. Or not. With Apple you never know.
HomePod Compatible Devices
In order to enjoy the HomePod, it is necessary that our device is at least a iPhone 5s, a second-generation iPad mini, the first-generation iPad Air, or any iPad Pro model and that it is managed at least by iOS 11.2.5, so if you meet these requirements and you intend to buy the HomePod, all you have to do is update the latest version of iOS currently available.
How long does the HomePod battery last?
Nothing. Nothing Why does not have it. Despite its small size and the portability that it can offer, the HomePod requires an electrical connection to function.
HomePod colors
The HomePod for now, will be released in black and white. There are no plans to launch a gold or Product Red model, although Apple may launch a special edition in other colors in the future.
Somewhat tendentious the article.