Apple's New HomePod Costs $349 (and Other Essential Things to Know)

It's more expensive than an Amazon Echo or Google Home, and you can't get one until December.
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Apple HomePod

If you're considering outfitting your home with a smart speaker like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, you should know about a new option: Apple HomePod.

What's it do? More importantly, what's it cost? Read on for everything you need to know about Apple's latest gadget.

What Is a HomePod?

Unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5, HomePod is basically a super-smart iPod for your home. It's a speaker with "amazing sound quality and intelligence," according to the Silicon Valley tech giant. Apple says this thing "reinvents music in the home" — but if you're familiar with similar gadgets from Amazon and Google, it won't seem all that novel.

Apple says this thing 'reinvents music in the home' — but if you're familiar with similar gadgets from Amazon and Google, it won't seem all that novel.

"We have such a great portable music experience, but what about our homes?" Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the WWDC keynote. "We think we can do a lot to make this experience much better. Just like we did with portable music, we want to reinvent home music."

Meanwhile, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, said on stage at WWDC that existing home speakers are either smart or they sound good. HomePod, he said, is the first to tick both those boxes.

It Costs HOW Much?

The speaker will come in white or space gray and will set you back $349, which is quite a bit more than you'd pay for the $179.99 Amazon Echo, $49.99 Echo Dot, or $129 Google Home. But, we are talking about a first-generation Apple device, so you didn't expect it to be bargain, did you?

And don't get too excited about HomePod right now, because it's not slated to go on sale for another six months. When it does, availability will initially be limited to the U.S., U.K., and Australia.

It Can 'Rock the House'

For that price, consumers are going to expect HomePod to offer sound quality that's on par with other high-end speakers. We'll have to wait for independent third-party reviews to come out to see if it stacks up with the likes of Bose or Sonos, but its audio features are seemingly superior to what you'd get with other smart speakers on the market.

SEE ALSO: 8 Things You Need to Know About Amazon's New Echo Show

Apple has really talked up HomePod's sound quality, and we wouldn't be surprised if the company's claims pan out. Consider that this isn't Apple's first rodeo — the company owns Beats, so it has experience making speakers.

HomePod measures just under 7" tall and is covered in a seamless 3D mesh fabric that, according to Schiller, "has incredible acoustic properties." On the inside, the speaker houses a 4" Apple-designed upward-facing woofer and seven beam-forming tweeters, each with its own amplifier. It's powered by an Apple A8 chip — the same one that powers the iPhone 6.

In other words, this thing can "rock the house," Schiller said.

It's 'Spatially Aware'

HomePod features what Apple calls "automatic room-sensing technology." That allows the speaker to optimize its audio output for your space and provide "an immersive music listening experience wherever it is placed" — whether that's on a table, shelf, against the wall, or in a corner. You can also set up two HomePods and they'll automatically work together to pump up the jams, but outfitting every room in your home would quickly become a pricey endeavor.

It's Your Personal 'Musicologist'

HomePod is designed to work with Apple Music (Apple's $9.99 monthly service), which now boasts 40 million songs from 2 million artists and tens of thousands of playlists.

Keep in mind that these voice features will, at least initially, only work with Apple Music.

The speaker features an array of six microphones, so you can talk to it — even from across the room or while music is playing. Just say "Hey Siri," and a colored waveform will light up on top of the speaker, indicating the virtual assistant is listening.

Schiller said the Siri team has worked hard to educate the virtual assistant about music, so it can handle your questions and commands. That includes easy stuff like "Play Beats 1 Radio," harder queries like "Who's singing on this track?" or really specific questions like "What was the top song on May 5, 2016?" You can also simply tell Siri to "play more songs like this."

Keep in mind that these voice features will, at least initially, only work with Apple Music. As Business Insider pointed out, you'll be able to stream Spotify or Pandora jams on HomePod with your phone using Apple's AirPlay technology, but you won't be able to control those services with your voice.

HomePod Is Also a Home Assistant

Besides music, HomePod can play your podcasts and read you news, weather, traffic, and sports information. You can use it to set reminders, timers, text someone, and control any HomeKit-enabled devices you have in your abode. In the future, Apple will almost certainly add voice calling, but the company didn't mention this as a launch feature. The HomeKit integration means you'll be able to use HomePod to do things like dim the lights, set the thermostat to a certain temperature, open the blinds, or check your home's air quality — all with your voice.

SEE ALSO: What Is the Amazon Dot and Why Would You Want One?

Apple Swears HomePod Won't Invade Your Privacy

Worried about Apple and others stealthily using HomePod to listen in on every word of every conversation in your home? A valid concern! On the topic of privacy, Apple said information will only be sent to its servers after the phrase "Hey Siri" is recognized locally on the device. At that point, it sends to Apple's servers an "anonymous Siri identifier" to help with your command, and the communication is encrypted.

"Security and privacy are fundamental to the design of Apple hardware, software and services," Apple says.

Should You Buy a HomePod?

Maybe you're happily locked into Apple's ecosystem (you're an iPhone user and Apple Music subscriber, for instance), have disposable income, and like being an early adopter of new technologies. Check out the in-depth third-party reviews for HomePod once they hit the web. If those are convincing, you'll probably want to preorder HomePod as soon as you can.

If you're on the fence, consider this: The price of HomePod will probably come down in time.

"Competitive pressures are expected to generate announcements of a near certain price cut (or release of a lower-priced model below $200) by June or September 2018," predicts Paul Erickson, senior analyst for connected homes with IHS Markit. Late 2018 is a long time to wait, but it also gives Apple plenty of time to iron out any glitches we may see in this first generation.

Readers, are you planning to buy Apple's HomePod speaker? Or do you think Google and Amazon have better offerings right now? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


Angela Moscaritolo
Contributing Writer

Angela is a DealNews contributor focused on consumer technology. You can also find her byline at PCMag.com. Follow her on Twitter at @amoscaritolo.
DealNews may be compensated by companies mentioned in this article. Please note that, although prices sometimes fluctuate or expire unexpectedly, all products and deals mentioned in this feature were available at the lowest total price we could find at the time of publication (unless otherwise specified).

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18 comments
puggsly
Own one and am just waiting for Christmas deals to buy more. We have seen places selling this for $300 which is what I'd like to see the retail price become before Christmas, which will allow for $250-270 door buster deals on them and I'll buy 3 more.

Sound quality is amazing for the size and reviews say paring allow these to really fill a good sized room. I can say from experience in my kitchen living room 50x 15-20 it is louder than I want it to be for anything but party music. Two of them would start pissing off my neighbors.

If you are not all in the Apple ecosystem with HomeKit and Apple music but want this sort of quality, Sonos is probably what you should look at.
tboynew
OMG .. Why! A $45 Echo Dot connected to a $35 Oontz Angle 3 Plus will give you sound that's just as good. And it will have a much more capable listening engine (Siri can't do one tenth of the things that Alexa can do, because Alexa is an open system that allows third parties to make apps for it). And you're not forced to drop your Spotify subscription because your Ipod Home refuses to play any music service not named Apple Music.

And ... your price is $80, not $350. The foolishness of the Apple cult never ceases to amaze me.
dansdeals
I'm not an Apple "fanboy" but I appreciate their quality products and am willing to pay more for them. $350 is a lot of money. But if it sounds fantastic, and is easy to use, and reliable, and better integrates into the Apple ecosystem, then some people will pay it, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I have three Echo Dots. They're great. I won't be trading them in for HomePods. I also won't be silly enough to compare them to a HomePod. The Echo Dots sound awful unless connected to a better speaker system. Apple and Oranges comparison there CinciShopper. You have them hooked up to your "audiophile-ish" system . Great. You're not who Apple is targeting. They're targeting people like my parents, or my wife, who shudder at the thought of "hooking up" technology, and are willing to pay for quality.
Lindsay Sakraida (DealNews)
@drewgalyen

"If you're comparing the sound quality potential of these to Beats, you deserve to be shot."

Seems a little harsh!
drewgalyen
If you're comparing the sound quality potential of these to Beats, you deserve to be shot. It'll probably sound just like a Beats speaker, which is to say it'll sound like an overpriced piece of crap that you got taken on better than even the county fair carny could take you for with your girlfriend eyeing the big stuffed bear at the top of the prize ladder. Then again, that's Apple's MO so...
dtrudea
Charles, so I don't follow. How many of these speakers do u own at this price? Please stop commenting Miss as u r making a serious fool of yourself.
CharlesAMuller
...seems as though someone is KeyBoard Gansta!!!
dtrudea- when you're done identifying with whatever you identify as- go out in public and associate
HeyTiger
Hard pass.
dtrudea
Charles, seems to me that you're the one doing the whining. I love Sonos and Apple. Are you honestly saying that this Apple speaker is worth the money? If so I think you need psychiatric help. Way better prices out there buddy for similar quality
CinciShopper
I would expect that this thing would have the ability to fly and follow me from room to room for $349. Think iDrone speaker (which I'm sure is in the works.)

I don't think that they got the memo at Apple that you can get a Echo Dot for 1/5 the price. My echo dots will in fact bluetooth to my existing audiophile "ish" speakers in STEREO which was a big issue for many of the original Amazon Echo purchasers. I don't see any mention of bluetooth capabilities in the description.

Note to Apple. I think you guys missed your big opportunity to finally make something that is actually shaped like an apple instead of a perforated aerodynamically shaped toilet paper roll. Its not too late!
CharlesAMuller
Apple won't invade your privacy because when and each time you agreed to their terms and conditions they owned your privacy- hence it is not private any longer- don't be fooled by assumptions- TRY USING THE NEXTDOOR APP
CharlesAMuller
some people like to begin something that is catchy- some like to follow- others just look on and laugh- and yet even others just do nothing at all.... some buy SONOS and whine about Apple
dtrudea
Greg, I don't click on unknown links. Sorry. Your comment made no sense
Greg the Gruesome
@dtrudea: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/inb4--2 (some items on that page NSFW)
dtrudea
I love Apple but u gotta have your head examined if you want to spend this kind of cash on a speaker. I'll stick with my quality Sonos speaker instead.
dtrudea
Greg, r u drinking bro? What's the meaning behind your comment? Normally u make sense.
snoonw
i paid $75 for google home when it was on sale last yr @ bestbuy with visa pay
Greg the Gruesome
In b4 NotAsheep