Music revolution on home straight
APPLE has led the evolution of how we enjoy music since the iPod was first unveiled in 2001.
But 16 years on, the competition is intense when it comes to music players, speakers, phones, headphones, earbuds and now home devices.
Apple last week unveiled its HomePod which promises to compete well with Amazon Echo and Google Home.
The world has changed enormously since the 5 gigabyte iPod was introduced by Steve Jobs in a low key event on October 23, 2001.
Last week, HomePod was the star of Worldwide Developer Conference keynote by Tim Cook – a long awaited new product which will debut in Australia in December.
It is a home speaker designed to compete with everything from Sonos to B& O just on sound quality.
Apple already has some strong credibility when it comes to sound.
Its AirPods have been rated the most beloved product ever, according to a customer satisfaction survey released by Creative Strategies in May.
The survey of 1000 who had bought them found 98% were happy with them, with 82% very satisfied.
We’ve been using them for a few months, and they are definitely the most versatile and clever sound products around.
They are comfortable, never fall out, and the fact that your music or Netflix video stops as you take one out is super cool.
We’ve also been testing the Solo3 Wireless headphones from Beats, which is owned by Apple.
More accurately, my wife and children has been testing them – as I can rarely get headphones off them.
The headphones deliver great bass sound, are comfortable (but not as comfortable for my big head as the AirPods), and also use Apple’s W1 chip, making for easy set up and about 40 hours of use between charges.
The easy connectivity between the headphones and your phone is what sets Apple’s products apart – and that’s something likely to be the same with the HomePod.
Once you set them up, you power on the Solo3 headphones and move them near your iPhone and the connection just happens.
And of course, they are also connect with the whole family of Apple devices – which in our case includes an iMac, a MacBook Pro, Apple Watch, and iPad.
While other more expensive headphones offer a greater range and noise cancelling, the Solo 3 Wireless offer plenty of punch in the lower ranges.
The fact they easily fold-up and can be carried in a portable case will appeal to train and plane commuters.
With a price tag of just under $400, the Solo 3 Wireless are on the expensive side. But if you are in the Apple ecosystem and believe in paying for quality, they are arguably a good investment.
Apple’s Siri-powered HomePod speaker will also be the dearest home speaker of its kind when it debuts in Australia for $US349 (around $450). Google Home sells for $US129 and Amazon Echo: $US179
With a seven-tweeter array and a four-inch subwoofer, Apple believes HomePod will deliver better sound that its rivals. For that sort of money, it would want to.