Another week, another product that we absolutely do not need but want has made a splash in the market. Introducing Apple’s HomePod smart speaker. As its name suggests, the HomePod is basically a speaker that can play music and follow voice commands using Siri, making it Apple’s version of the Echo and Google Home.
And good news, it is now available for pre-order online. Bad news, pre-orders are only available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. The US$349 HomePod has yet to be made available to consumers in Singapore and the region, although France and Germany will get the smart speaker this spring.
Is Singapore missing out? Depends on how you look at it, really. Both the Echo and Google Home aren’t available in this part of the globe, so it’s no surprise that Apple has held off from launching the HomePod here. It is the initial launch phase, however, and things could very well change.
If things do change, Apple fans in Singapore can expect a home speaker of the highest quality, and one that could potentially make life a whole lot easier. Plus, the HomePod has super cool features like automatic room-sensing technology, six powerful built-in microphones, a solid upward-facing woofer, and an A8 chip, which gives it the brain of an iPhone 6.
However, the HomePod is not without its flaws. Early reviewers have remarked that speaker is unable to discern between different voices, while apps are limited, with Google Assistant and Alexa enjoying a head start in terms of developer action. The HomePod is also built specifically for Apple Music, so Spotify users have to rely on an Airplay connection.
The ultimate question is: do Singaporeans really care about smart speakers? We’ll leave that up for you to decide. All we know is that Apple has thrown down the gauntlet in the smart speaker war, and the battle is on.
For more information, visit apple.com.
Images: Apple
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