October 14, 2024
HomePod is the Best Sounding Smart Speaker But 'At the Bottom of the Totem Pole In Terms of AI' [Chart]

HomePod is the Best Sounding Smart Speaker But 'At the Bottom of the Totem Pole In Terms of AI' [Chart]

Posted February 11, 2018 at 3:27pm by iClarified
HomePod is the best sounding smart speaker but 'at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of AI assistant performance', according to an in depth test performed by Loup Ventures.

Yesterday, we put HomePod through the smart speaker gauntlet which included 782 queries along with comprehensive tests of sound quality and ease of use. Our methodology was comprised of 3 HomePods being tested throughout the day by the Loup Ventures team.

The tests yielded some interesting results:
● HomePod is hands down the best sounding smart speaker.
● As a smart speaker, it answered 52.3% of queries correctly compared to recent tests of Google Home at 81%, Alexa at 64%, and Cortana at 57%.
● The user experience of HomePod is measurably better than its competition (setup, communication style, listening ability).
● HomePod has superior listening skills to other smart speakers. This is partly due to a noise cancellation feature which allows you, even at a volume where you would have to raise your voice to talk to others in the same room, to use your regular speaking voice with Siri. This was HomePod’s most stellar feature.
● Wireless setup was super easy. In fact, it was the easiest of any of digital assistant we have used (Alexa, Google Home, Cortana, etc.). You already have a companion app and don’t need to wrestle with wifi networks.
● Siri’s voice sounds smoother and more human than it does on your iPhone.
● Her communication is also more human-like. Specifically, after asking a question, she does not repeat the whole thing back to you as is the case with Google Assistant and Alexa, which makes for a subtly smoother process.
● The tap UI on the touch-sensitive display requires a small amount of instruction, as it is not immediately obvious that you tap to play.pause, double tap for next track, triple tap for previous track, and touch and hold to bring up Siri.
● HomePod’s packaging is a new level of perfection for Apple. The perfectly fitted box requires you to open it at “reveal” pace, and even the external plastic wrap is pleasing to remove.
● As a speaker, it sounds incredible – mission accomplished. As a digital assistant, whether it is a direct competitor or not, it is better than what we expected for version 1, but still lags behind Alexa and Google Home.


Loup notes that Siri has the ability to answer a whole range of questions that the HomePod cannot. Additionally, the HomePod doesn't currently support a variety of functions including navigation, calendar, email, and calling. These are things that Apple can add in a software update. When they arrive, the HomePod will become more useful.

Once the HomePod reaches the same AI performance as its competitors, customers will need to decide whether its worth paying 4X the price of an Echo for a better sound experience. Loup Ventures predicts HomePod unit sales of 7 million in 2018 with a $349 ASP, which adds approximately 1% to revenue and earnings. In CY19, they expect unit sales of 10.9 million and see growth of 40% and 45% per year over the next 3 years.

Hit the link below for the full report...

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HomePod is the Best Sounding Smart Speaker But 'At the Bottom of the Totem Pole In Terms of AI' [Chart]
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Comments (8)
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Great!
Great! - February 12, 2018 at 5:27pm
Sonos co-founder and former CEO praises HomePod for audio quality. Interesting!
Great!
Great! - February 12, 2018 at 5:24pm
HomePod sounds better than audiophile KEF X300A setup.
Trent
Trent - February 12, 2018 at 4:52pm
How about Sonos with Alexa?
Big KoK
Big KoK - February 11, 2018 at 10:34pm
Dumb Pod
Ace*
Ace* - February 11, 2018 at 8:11pm
Not sure why anyone would buy one of these if they care about sound quality. You can get a 2 speaker setup that is far superior for far less. This is waaaay overpriced. Problem is Apple and Google Home don’t have Bluetooth out. The cheap Amazon Echo Dot has Bluetooth out so you can hook up to decent speakers.
MUKAI
MUKAI - February 11, 2018 at 8:06pm
No it’s not, I bought it and it wasn’t impressive as for sound. I left it on the center of my living room and it’s spacious. It didn’t impress me, my UE megaboom sounded better than this piece of trash speaker. Siri is really limited and it won’t even play Spotify. Oh well good thing for eBay because I ain’t keeping it, getting my megaboom back.
D4xM4Nx
D4xM4Nx - February 11, 2018 at 4:54pm
OMG Steve Jobs was here o.0... Siri won't stop from sucking even while it was opened to third parties. Apple isn't a data-collecting company as google, no chance to compete under those conditions. The HomePod has been hugely lauded for its sound quality, I'm intrigued so I'm gonna give it a test.
iDood
iDood - February 11, 2018 at 4:13pm
Dear Tim! Steve here from the grave. Please work on Siri and enough of these hardware Apple stuff. Siri is way behind and needs improvement. Don’t come out with another hardware until Siri is perfected. Steve
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