Technical sheet for the HomePod speaker: Apple's voice assistant

iPhone user, have you always wanted to add sound to your apartment but no manufacturer has ever been able to satisfy you? So you've probably heard of HomePod. Indeed, thisApple speakeris renowned for its ability to become the best audio companion in a home ecosystem. But its technical sheet must still hold up, because the history of its competitors (choose from Bose, Sony or any reference) plays the role of a serious barrier to entry into a booming market. Not to mention the Google Home, Amazon Echo and others, revealed in advance. So, HomePod, good choice or not?

Design: an example of simplicity

HomePod is a speaker: it is therefore installed in a strategic location in a room to provide sound, regardless of your interior layout. Indeed, if the arrangement of your furniture follows your visual wishes, the installation of a HomePod must follow prerequisites linked to the 3D mapping of your environment: the result will thus be much more qualitative in an angle of your living room than right in the middle of it. Therefore, there is a good chance that the HomePod will end up in a visible place.

Fortunately, Apple has relied on asober and versatile exterior appearance, unlike its other audio accessories like the instantly recognizable AirPods among all their other competitors. We therefore find ourselves with a simple speaker in a classic format, which is also available in two colors to choose from:white and black. Its circular design with rounded corners will certainly be identifiable by the most discerning aficionados of the Californian firm with its fruity logo, but for the rest, you will be guaranteed not to disturb those around you by its nevertheless remarkable character.

Is HomePod sound worth the detour?

Let's now move on to what - if we stick to industry standards - is most important for the purist. It's about the sound and its quality: as a speaker meant to provide sound for an entire space, the HomePod has to hold its own. We will therefore be brief on this subject: the HomePod is ahigh-end speaker. Of course, it does not have sufficient skills to face the experts in the sector, but this remains a comfortable assessment, especially for a consumer manufacturer. In any case, we will see later,this is not the main attraction of the HomePod.

Can do better in terms of compatibility…

Third important subject: devices compatible with HomePod. This is where things get tricky. In fact, the HomePodonly works well with… Apple devices. In fact, we only connect to it via Cupertino services and products such as:

• the streaming platformApple Music(9.99 euros per month)
• titles purchased on iTunes
• tracks saved to iCloud storage
• Beats 1 radio (as a reminder, the company founded by Dr Dre was bought by Apple for three billion dollars in 2014)
• the Apple Podcasts app, which, as its name suggests, broadcasts audio broadcasts
• and of courseall audio files from an iPhone, an iPod touch, an iPad touch tablet, an Apple TV or a Mac computer using the proprietary AirPlay tool

This compatibility with iOS therefore means that regardless of the servicestreamingto which you are subscribed (we are thinking here of Spotify as well as Deezer, Tidal or Amazon Music Unlimited), as long as it has a client on the App Store, then you will be able to enjoy it on the HomePod.

Apple HomePod controls

The HomePod, in addition to seeing its volume and the controls of the different music easily controlled from the source device, has atouchpadwhich allows you to control it without a remote control directly by touching the surface of the device. On its site, Apple provides some fairly telling examples: for example, “touch or press the + and – buttons to increase or decrease the volume” or even “touch and hold to speak toSiri“. As a reminder, this AI answers your questions on demand, whether to find out the weather, play a Spotify playlist or read an SMS.

You can also tap HomePod to play or pause the music.musique, and double-tap its surface to skip a song. Finally, "touch three times” will be synonymous with going back.

Devices compatible with HomePod

As we could see a little above, the Apple HomePod only works correctly with Apple brand devices, which makes itdiffers from most Bluetooth speakers on the marketwhich are most of the time compatible with all smartphones and other products equipped with this technology. Here is the list of all the devices compatible with the HomePod smart speaker, officially communicated by its manufacturer:

• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11
• iPhone XSMax
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XR
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 6
• iPhone SE (find our complete test of this mobile at this address)
• iPhone 5s
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro
• iPad Pro 11 inch
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro
• iPad Pro 9.7 inches
• Seventh generation iPad
• Sixth generation iPad
• Fifth generation iPad
• Third generation iPad Air
• iPad Air 2
• iPad Air
• Fifth generation iPad mini
• iPad mini 4
• iPad mini 3
• iPad mini 2
• Seventh generation iPod touch
• Sixth generation iPod touch

HomePod pricing and availability

Announced on June 5, 2017 during the Worldwide Developer Conference of the same year, the HomePod connected speaker began to be delivered to the first customers won over by its technical sheet from the first quarter of the following year. Its current price is329 euros in France, regardless of the model chosen.

However, we regularly findpromotionson the HomePod speaker, particularly at French resellers. So take a look below to compare the best offers of the moment on the device and find the most advantageous plan according to your budget.

Conclusion: is HomePod right for you?

We have now reached the end of ourtechnical sheetlisting all the advantages and disadvantages of the HomePod. And it must be said that this accessory for iPhone and Mac actually has serious attributes that place ittops the list of best wireless speakers compatible with iOSand other software fitted to Apple products. Indeed, this will be the ideal and obvious option that you will choose if you have already started developing a well-rounded ecosystem within your home.

So of course, by looking carefully at the competition, you will obviously find better quality speakers at a more attractive price. Indeed, with more than 300 euros per unit, the HomePod remains a companionpremium, even luxury. But if you can afford it, it will be the smoothest device for listening to music coming from your iPhone. Furthermore, you should know that by purchasing several, the HomePods are able to work together, to deliver an even more comprehensive sound experience.