Apple HomePod review: Is it for you?

When you walk into the Apple Store, the HomePod is obnoxiously poking you at all corners of the store.  It is everywhere.

Does it match up to the $100 Amazon Echo?  Or the $199 Sonos One? Or even the $399 Google Home Max?

The HomePod itself is $349.  And of course it’s powered by Siri which is not a bad thing.

Now, we have to note that Apple has specifically marketed the HomePod to be a speaker first, and then an intelligent Alexa like assistant afterwards.  Well, I think this was done more so because Alexa is awesome at what it does and tough to compete against.

Music sounds better in the middle of the room where HomePod acts as a sole central speaker.  Yes, iTunes is what you should be using with the speaker. But, you can still stream Spotify and other stations to your HomePod with an extra click.

The tech setup is ridiculously quick, taking just one minute.  Just like with Apple’s Airport Extreme router setup, it walks you through it painlessly.

So, now onto non-speaker stuff.  What can it do?

HomePod can answer questions about the news and weather.  It can also act as a smart hub for other Apple devices.  Now, this is why you should buy the HomePod. Don’t buy it for just a speaker.  $349 frankly is too high for stand-alone speakers.  But, if you have other Apple smart products that you can control, then this may be the purchase for you.

What Apple smart products work with HomePod:

-Phillips Hue Lights

-Ecobee Thermostats

-August Smart Locks

With “Hey Siri” as your initial command, you can control your smart lights, thermostat, and locks.  Yes, you can control those with your iPhone already, but what if you don’t want to be dependent on your phone for this?  What if you want visitors, guests, or your kids to be able to control these devices without controlling your phone?  Then, it’s a good buy.

But, if you already own and Alexa, Google, of Sonos speaker assistant, then you’re really just buying this thing to be an Apple enthusiast.  In reality, it’s a glorified speaker that has the Apple brand on it.

If you’ve decided on buying the $349 Apple HomePod, obviously you can go through the Apple store for this.  Best pricing we’ve seen is $20 off from Sam’s Club for the Apple HomePod purchase.