THE EXTENSION

Exploring topics beyond our day-to-day coverage.

Dismantling the Digital Hub

• John

I’ve changed my mind about the HomePod several times since it was first announced at WWDC. Part of that has to do with how little information was known about it for so many months. We know more now than we did last summer, but there are still a lot of open questions as Ryan outlined in Issue 112 of MacStories Weekly. We’ve also seen features like AirPlay 2 delayed until later this year. The combination of factors has left me indecisive for months.

My initial excitement in the wake of the HomePod’s announcement was quickly replaced by indifference as we learned that the device featured high-quality audio, but only a limited set of Siri integrations. Over the past couple of months though, as I’ve begun using an Amazon Echo more and tinkered with my TV setup, I’ve swung back to being excited, though with more realistic expectations about what the HomePod can do.