Tensions Escalate In The Smarthome Tech Space

Not much has changed since we last sold this Phillips Hue Starter Kit. It’s still a good way to dip one’s proverbial toe in the smarthome water and see if it suits you. It gives you a sense of this latest tech craze without breaking your bank, and works with plenty of the heavy hitters in the space.

However, the world has changed since we last sold them. Apple announced their HomePod speaker thingy, a competitor to the Amazon Echo and Sonos smart home speakers. The HomePod will interface with Apple’s HomeKit smarthome system, naturally, as does this Philips Hue system. Meaning that, if you’re considering buying a HomePod upon released, you’ll be ready to smartify your domicile with these lights.

What do we think of the HomePod, you ask? We’re not gullible enough to answer that. The road to techie obsolescence is paved with premature reviews of Apple products, such as this infamous first take on the iPod from Slashdot:

No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.

That doesn’t mean everybody won’t be lured into the trap. Wired has voiced their impression of the HomePod:

It might sound better than its competitors, and look better too. But Apple’s fresh take on the smart speaker really didn’t seem all that fresh.

As has Business Insider:

HomePod feels like more of the same, but not different enough to make me get it over the cheaper, friendlier Echo or the established Sonos family of speakers.

They’re not all negative. The Verge thinks highly:

…When it comes to smart speakers, the HomePod is likely to be head and shoulders above its direct competitors, the Echo and Google Home. For the price and size, you should expect that, and Apple delivered.

We’re not foolish enough to post our own opinions, but we’d love to hear yours. Will you pass on Apple’s latest Pods? Or will you be seductively asking Siri to dim the (Phillips Hue) lights someday soon?