Move over, Alexa: Siri’s come to claim its rightful throne

If the ipod was the gadget that kickstarted Apple’s revival, then the Homepod is meant to cement its all-conquering status. From headphones to watches and now smart speakers, no stone has been left unturned in its quest to slap its logo on every product you might use your iphone with.

This mission for assimilation seems to have reached its zenith with a device that’s allergic to Android handsets, demands an Apple Music subscription and can’t yet deliver multiroom sound. As such, the Homepod carries an air of exclusivity that’s akin to an old gentlemen’s club: you’re probably not invited and, if so, that’s no big deal.

But it’s different if you’re an iphone owner with an Apple Music subscription. Then you have a ticket to the best-sounding smart speaker money can buy. From Babymetal to Schubert’s Symphony No8, the Homepod does a great job no matter what genre you throw at it. If music is your priority when it comes to a speaker’s performance – and you’re not subscribed to Spotify – then we’ve got no qualms about recommending it over anything else we’ve tested here.

It’s on the ‘smart’ side of things that the Homepod falls short, as Siri lacks the knowhow and depth of talent that you’ll find with Alexa. Given how reluctant Apple’s been to get on with other brands, we’ve no reason to think this will change. And so Apple’s new speaker is more brawn than brains.