Properly, we’ve waited a short while for this one, haven’t we? However Apple’s HomePod   is lastly nearing a launch, and we managed to get a while prolonged time listening to it and testing out the sound.

Sadly, we weren’t capable of take pictures, nor extensively deal with the items on present (that ought to be coming quickly, although) – however we did get to listen to all method of sound and Siri assessments with the items in numerous situations, in addition to some ‘mild fondling’ of the speaker.

By way of utilizing the Apple HomePod, it’s so, properly, Apple in the way in which you’ll use it. Like with the AirPods, merely maintain your telephone close to the unit and your handset will ship over your Apple ID, Apple Music preferences and enter all of the long-winded Wi-Fi passwords you’re proud that you simply keep in mind however fortunately don’t need to kind in.

After that, you may go away the home together with your iPhone and your loved ones or housemates will nonetheless be capable of use the speaker – though you may flip off ‘private requests’ primarily based in your info for those who don’t need different folks meddling with your enterprise.

(Fortunately it’s also possible to cease requests to the speaker messing together with your music listening historical past too – for those who’re attempting to construct respectable automated playlists on Apple Music, then your housemates enjoying Justin Bieber and Moana on repeat received’t destroy that).

Apple HomePod worth and launch date

The Apple HomePod worth is $349 / £319 / AU$499, and fortunately we lastly have a HomePod launch date to go together with that worth: pre-orders went stay at 13:30 on 26 January, with the unit starting supply on 9 February. 

Apple HomePod Sound high quality

It will probably usually be laborious to evaluate sound high quality in a demo, because it’s clearly going to optimized for the area round it.

A minimum of Apple demonstrated the HomePod in precise rooms with furnishings and rugs to provide a way of the way it will sound, and the tech inside is designed to do quite a lot of stuff to the noise springing out the speaker.

Place the HomePod in the midst of the room and also you’ll get a 360-degree sound spreading throughout, however transfer it to a wall and the speaker will work out what surfaces are close by and cut up the sounds accordingly. 

This implies the background devices and accompaniments will probably be mirrored again, and the principle vocals and devices will probably be given a extra highly effective, direct path to your ears.

In observe, it simply sounded fairly good… as you’d anticipate from a speaker of this price. We listened to Ariana Grande, Gregory Porter, songs from the Hamilton musical soundtrack, Frozen, and Ed Sheeran and all of them sounded fairly respectable.

The vocals on all of them had been very clear, with heavy bass (it virtually slipped into muddy at instances, though the impact was minimal).

This stuff are loud, too, with spectacular sound high quality coming at greater quantity. Extra vocally-dominated songs sounded clear and genuine, and all through the check it was spectacular simply how huge the audio popping out of the HomePod was.

In actual fact, it generally sounded just like the speaker was attempting to do an excessive amount of, with virtually an excessive amount of energy attempting to get out. Not when it comes to distortion, however simply quite a lot of vitality popping out of a really small unit.

We additionally had been proven a check between the HomePod and the Sonos One ($199 / £199 / AU$299), Harman Kardon Allure ($250 / £250 / round AU$400) and new Amazon Echo ($99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149).

Apple instructed us that each one the audio system had been set as much as producers’ specs and sound matched to make sure the identical quantity. Unsurprisingly, as the most costly, the HomePod sounded the very best throughout the stay recording of The Eagles’ Lodge California.

Nonetheless, the Attract stacked up fairly properly, with the Alexa-enabled speaker providing related bass ranges and a pleasant vary. The Sonos One was additionally prime quality, however had a narrower vary and did not have fairly the identical energy on the quantity we listened to.

What was fascinating was how properly the brand new Amazon Echo carried out. It wasn’t in the identical league because the Attract or HomePod when it got here to bass, however the sound high quality was fairly wealthy contemplating it prices a 3rd as a lot as these on provide right here… and might connect with way more apps and companies.

We additionally acquired an early take a look at stereo mode, which includes pairing collectively two Apple HomePod audio system to create an even bigger sound in a room. A characteristic for the extra rich, maybe.

They sounded simply pretty much as good, besides only a bit louder – utilizing two audio system did not appear so as to add any additional smarts, they simply created a wider sound that stuffed the room extra comprehensively.

They clearly sync collectively, that means pausing or altering the quantity on one unit has the identical impact on the opposite – however the demo was simply a regular tune, somewhat than one thing that made use of the stereo choices.

It could be fascinating if two HomePod audio system may very well be used as a sound system for an Apple TV, however the viability of that wasn’t confirmed to me.

HomePod design

The design of the Apple HomePod is compact – a small, however weighty, speaker lined in an in depth mesh that nearly feels rubbery below the hand. The mesh is light-weight to permit the sound out extra successfully, and the white and area grey items are fairly delicate and rounded in an understated manner

The controls are hidden on the prime, with the quantity + and – buttons lighting up when pressed and the principle ‘glow’ within the center showing when the speaker is in use. That is white for traditional operations, however turns multi-colored just like the Siri emblem once you’re chatting to the assistant.

The contact controls are pretty responsive, though it will be good to have haptic suggestions when tapping the highest. Nonetheless, double-tapping to skip tracks is okay and you may triple faucet to skip again a observe, too.

By way of what’s contained in the speaker, you’ve acquired loads occurring – six microphones for Siri, seven tweeters, a woofer with a customized amplifier, a motor driving the diaphragm, and the Apple A8 chip inside.

Nonetheless, there are a number of notable absences: there’s no Bluetooth connection on provide right here, nor an audio in port… though Apple including a headphone jack to this, however not its telephones, would have been a narrative in itself.

Siri

Whereas music playback is the first thrust of the HomePod for Apple, Siri additionally has an enormous half to play.

Merely saying ‘Hey Siri’ to the speaker at any level will activate the service – even for those who’re listening to a tune at excessive quantity. That was a powerful factor to see, and testomony to the effectiveness of the six microphones getting used.

You may also ask Siri to show down the music, play one other playlist, or set the quantity to a sure proportion to make issues a bit simpler to listen to for those who’re attempting to have a dialog.

In actual fact, with music it looks like Apple is attempting to do a bit a lot, as you may ask for info on the singer, the tune or a assessment of the album. The latter is considerably pointless because the robotic voice studying out info on Ed Sheeran’s album felt, to us, a bit bizarre – it’s the type of factor that’s a lot simpler to learn on the telephone that almost all listeners could have melded to their arms.

However as a wise speaker controlling your own home, it’s fairly complete and picks up voices properly. Within the demo, merely saying “Good morning!” opened the ‘Morning Scene’, which turned on the lights, lifted the blinds and began the kettle boiling. Reaching one thing like this requires severe funding in your sensible dwelling, although.

Nonetheless, you possibly can set it to easily activate a wise kettle for those who’ve spent the money on a type of, or activate the lights for those who’re too lazy within the morning.

You may ask for a information readout, with three companies accessible within the UK, and dictate and listen to messages in case your arms are full.

Texting somebody this manner appears impractical although – whereas it’s positive to ship a fast message to somebody, having to say ‘learn my messages’ and ensure you wish to reply rapidly descends into “Oh, I’ll simply get my telephone out and do it”, except for some purpose you may’t use your arms in the intervening time.

One factor that Apple has been scorching on is privateness (all of the requests are nameless and encrypted), and there are a number of methods to guard your HomePod from getting used nefariously (unintentionally or in any other case) by these round. 

You may disable the ‘Hey Siri’ command from the House App in your telephone, or by merely asking Siri to cease listening. Though Siri will double test you wish to do that and you may re-enable the service by urgent the button on prime.

Early verdict

The HomePod is late to the sport, however it does what Apple got down to do: provide a premium listening expertise that mixes very properly with Siri.

Whereas it’s not going to publicize the identical factor, it has the next worth like different Apple merchandise to provide it an air of higher high quality – though the construct high quality and audio do match the value level.

It’s a little bit dearer than equal merchandise, and lacks issues like Bluetooth playback or the flexibility to work together with many companies exterior the Apple ecosystem, although, so that is, as anticipated, a speaker for the individual that has a Macbook, iPhone and Apple Watch and needs high-class sound to associate with that vary.