Does the new HOMEPOD play Radio from app ??

Sad Professor

First impressions are very positive about the sound quality and suggest the HomePod is nothing like the Echo:

CNET:

HomePod came off as bolder and more vivid than Sonos Play:3 in the experience I tried, and a lot better than Amazon Echo. I'd also say the music sounded consistently vivid and crisp in a quiet space, more so than the Sonos and Amazon comparisons on-hand.

HiFi:

As Sia’s The Greatest played out, the HomePod sounded impressive: strong bass rang out – which was perhaps the overriding audio takeaway for the speaker – but the vocals still seemed sharp and crisp. In comparison, the Sonos Play:3 appeared uncharacteristically flat, while the Amazon Echo felt almost pedestrian.

Engadget:

The HomePod however, sounded crisp and bright no matter the musical genre fed through it -- it rendered The Eagles as well it did Kendrick Lamar... And the Echo? Well, I'll put it this way: if listening to the HomePod was like listening to a CD, then audio through the Echo sounded like AM radio. In my experience it's excellent for audiobooks, but if given the choice, I'd rather have the HomePod pump out my jams.

The Echo doesn't support Apple Music, which is Apple's fault, but since I'm happily subscribed to Apple Music, the HomePod is potentially ideal for me, but I remain sceptical until reviewers get some real hands on time with it. The main thing for me is how well it actually works. I have a Logitech Airplay speaker which sounds great but is a pain in the arse to use. I don't want Airplay or Bluetooth streaming or anything hooked up to anything else. I just want a speaker that's easy to set up and can play music by itself. Some kind of third party support would be nice too, but that can wait provided they get the core functionality right.

adox

One thing is for sure. These kind of devices are great for streaming services. Apart from the whole just telling it what you want played, the fact that you arent using a phone or tablet to send the music to it is fantastic, not wasting your battery on streaming music.

Sad Professor

adox wrote: »

One thing is for sure. These kind of devices are great for streaming services. Apart from the whole just telling it what you want played, the fact that you arent using a phone or tablet to send the music to it is fantastic, not wasting your battery on streaming music.

Yeah, the whole streaming from your device to a speaker/tv thing is really cumbersome in my experience. I often just put my headphones in or play using my iPhone speakers (which I hate!) because I just couldn't be bothered with it.

Dades

Sad Professor wrote: »

Yeah, the whole streaming from your device to a speaker/tv thing is really cumbersome in my experience. I often just put my headphones in or play using my iPhone speakers (which I hate!) because I just couldn't be bothered with it.

Since I bought a Bose Soundlink Mini 2, I have my phone constantly paired with it at home, in the garden, etc. It's in constant use for podcasts and Spotify and works pretty seamlessly.

I'm confused as to whether the HomePod would replace this setup I have. How you do browse for stuff? Can you even play a podcast you've downloaded on it?

Zcott

You'd use airplay for it. No pairing required, it just shows up as an output.

Sad Professor

Dades wrote: »

Since I bought a Bose Soundlink Mini 2, I have my phone constantly paired with it at home, in the garden, etc. It's in constant use for podcasts and Spotify and works pretty seamlessly.

I'm confused as to whether the HomePod would replace this setup I have. How you do browse for stuff? Can you even play a podcast you've downloaded on it?

As Zcott said above, you will be able to stream to it via Airplay, but it's designed to operated using Siri. So you could just tell it to play a track directly from Apple Music or Apple Podcasts.

murpho999

Sad Professor wrote: »

As Zcott said above, you will be able to stream to it via Airplay, but it's designed to operated using Siri. So you could just tell it to play a track directly from Apple Music or Apple Podcasts.

Wonder how you sign-in or link to your account, does it connect to your phone first for that?

Creamy Goodness

murpho999 wrote: »

Wonder how you sign-in or link to your account, does it connect to your phone first for that?

I'm guessing there'll be a HomePod app just like the Watch app. You'll be able to control things there. Or maybe like the Apple Tv (4th gen) setup, you hold your phone close to the device and it wirelessly sets up the HomePod.

murpho999

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

I'm guessing there'll be a HomePod app just like the Watch app. You'll be able to control things there. Or maybe like the Apple Tv (4th gen) setup, you hold your phone close to the device and it wirelessly sets up the HomePod.

So does that mean only iOS device users can use it?

Creamy Goodness

murpho999 wrote: »

So does that mean only iOS device users can use it?

Not sure, Apple didn't even allow journalists to even touch the devices when in the demo rooms.

I'd say we'll see more information at the September event.

Sad Professor

The fact that it's Airplay only would suggest that it will require an Apple computer or device. However, once its set up it won't really matter what device you have as it will be streaming directly from Apple Music and taking instruction via Siri.

adox

With the Amazon Echo they have an app but also a dedicated website where you can register and set it up. Id imagine it would be something similar.

You can then add "skills" which are like apps(ones that are available). Can all be done with a mobile device or PC/Mac so Id imagine the same with Apples set up.

Zcott

murpho999 wrote: »

So does that mean only iOS device users can use it?

Probably. No Bluetooth or aux in.

jakdublin

I'm tempted by this, but I ditched Apple Music shortly after it messed up my music collection and am a dedicated Spotify user. I know I could Airplay my music to HomePOD but I feel I'd be missing out on premium features by being a Spotify fan. I need to be talked into buying it :-)

cnocbui

Sounds more like you need to be talked out of buying something you don't need.

Dades

^^ This!

It seems to me that if you're looking to use this primarily as a speaker through which to play audio, then it's just a very expensive non-bluetooth connected waste.

OU812

It should be able to play an iTunes library though, right?

Sad Professor

OU812 wrote: »

It should be able to play an iTunes library though, right?

Yes, via your iCloud Music Library. That's it's primary function - to play Apple Music.

Or you can stream anything to it via Airplay from your computer/device, but as said, if that's all you're going to use it for then it's a waste of money. At best the Airplay option should be considered a compromise until it supports third party apps.

cnocbui

Walled Garden device. It exists to sell Apple music subscriptions, not to provide a great user experience.

jakdublin

cnocbui wrote: »

Sounds more like you need to be talked out of buying something you don't need.

It's often the case when it comes to Apple launches, but I'm getting better at resisting. Think it's my age. Might be growing up at last.

jakdublin

Dades wrote: »

^^ This!

It seems to me that if you're looking to use this primarily as a speaker through which to play audio, then it's just a very expensive non-bluetooth connected waste.

I feat that may be true, but if the sound is as good as the early reviews the non-Bluetooth wouldn't necessarily be a deal-breaker. I listen to music from IOS and Mac anyway, albeit with Spotify.

Dades

The beauty of a really good speaker is portability and flexibility. My Bose Soundlink Mini travels well and anyone can (and does) hook up to it via Bluetooth (or even minijack). It also charges via mini USB.

Buying the HomePod just as a speaker would be mad, imo.