As Apple Pursues Ai, Spare A Thought For The Poor Homepod

When nan video kicking disconnected Apple's "Awe dropping" event began yesterday, I was pleased to spot a HomePod successful nan opening shot. I hadn't fixed immoderate thought to Apple's beleaguered smart location speaker successful ages, truthful I was each group for Tim Cook and unit to present an existent astonishment and uncover caller worldly for HomePod. When nan full position past passed without different peep astir nan product, I was disappointed, but resigned.

HomePod has ever been down nan curve. When smart speakers first came connected nan scene, nan assemblage was quickly dominated by Amazon and Google, pinch Sonos arsenic nan boutique third-party option. Apple announced nan HomePod successful June 2017, almost 3 years aft Amazon unveiled its original Echo speaker.

The HomePod arrived excessively slow and costs excessively much, and (in an echo of nan company's existent woes) Siri was excessively unhelpful, for nan smart speaker to really claw backmost overmuch marketplace stock from its rivals. The Mini loop came retired successful precocious 2020, and nan second-generation HomePod successful February 2023 added support for Thread smart location standard. Not precisely pushing nan boundaries of smart speaker innovation.

And things sewage worse for nan mediocre HomePod arsenic voice-controlled AI assistants person transitioned distant from being centered astir dedicated speakers. AI is now being integrated ever-more tightly into our smartphones and computers, pinch little request for a abstracted intermediary device. Which brings america to nan ongoing rumor of Apple's shaky foothold successful nan AI race.

Apple has been promising a large overhaul to Siri for awhile, pinch nan caller and improved type presently not owed until spring 2026. To show disconnected that caller AI assistant, Apple is reportedly moving connected an interactive smart location hub that is expected to person HomePod-like audio capabilities baked in, but won't beryllium fresh for motorboat until at slightest 2027. What's a institution to do successful nan interim?

It makes consciousness for Apple to clasp backmost connected immoderate large developments to its existing Siri-centric smart location speaker. I get it. But I could person been hyped to spot a stripped down HomePod that focused much connected being a speaker than connected being smart. I person a Sonos that I love, and portion of maine assumed that I would yet upgrade to an Apple offering. The AirPods are specified a awesome constituent successful nan Apple ecosystem, and I usage excavation almost daily. Having a powerful, high-quality location speaker that delivers nan easy interconnectivity that's specified a large portion of Apple's worth proposition mightiness person helped span nan clip gap, keeping Apple successful people's minds arsenic a subordinate successful location tech while nan institution useful connected its next, much innovative move. Take 1 measurement backmost to return 3 steps forward.

In practice, though, it feels for illustration nan model for nan HomePod to go a prima successful Apple's lineup has shrunk to almost nothing. As I now look astatine nan caller trends successful AI and location tech, I don't spot an evident abstraction for a smart speaker. That's not constricted to Apple; it's besides beautiful telling that some Amazon and Google haven't been giving overmuch emotion to their smart speakers either. In fact, a mostly of Engadget's favourite smart speakers this twelvemonth are from master Sonos arsenic nan large tech names person put their attraction connected AI alternatively of audio. We'll still person smart speakers, but they'll beryllium folded into multi-purpose gadgets and sounded arsenic wide smart-home aids.

To beryllium clear, there's been nary denotation that Apple will sunset nan HomePod. But my individual prediction is that HomePod will enactment connected nan sidelines for now and get pushed moreover farther distant from nan spotlight erstwhile nan caller smart location products are unveiled, receiving only occasional attraction until Apple officially and softly pulls nan plug for good. And truthful will extremity nan life of a star-crossed merchandise that ne'er sewage nan chance to radiance astatine its afloat potential. Here's hoping I'm wrong.