Reasons You Might Not Want An Apple HomePod

The consumer electronics market is now teeming with various kinds of smart gadgets for the home. Google has the Google Home, Amazon has the Echo, and now, Apple has the HomePod. While many Apple fans will definitely rush to get one for themselves, for the not so tech-savvy people like you and I, there are still things one might consider before buying a HomePod.

With the release of the Apple HomePod last February 9, the Internet is buzzing with reviews after reviews of the smart speaker. Some of which are appealing while others are just downright abysmal. While on the whole, the device screams quality and Apple's attention to detail, somehow, these are still not enough to justify getting one for yourself.

The first major concern about the Apple HomePod is the price. Selling at $350, the smart speaker is indeed on the expensive side of things. Compared to the $99 Google Home or even the $179 Amazon Echo Show, Apple's price tag is just too much. Furthermore, for a $350 purchase, you would expect it to at least show you a few images like the Echo Show. Instead, it shows you blurry colors that are so ill-positioned you might not even bother looking at it.

The second reason you might want to reconsider the Apple HomePod is Siri itself. While the personal digital assistant has had many improvements over the years, many still consider it to be a little "half-baked." According to Loup Ventures, while Siri understands nearly all of the queries given to it, it was only able to answer slightly more than half of them correctly. This is a far cry when compared to Google Home's 81 percent accuracy. To add insult to injury, the current version of Siri on the Apple HomePod does not differentiate a user from another. This means, if you own a HomePod, anyone can access your messages or emails from the device without you even knowing.

Finally, you have the cost of repair. While this may sound too overbearing for some, accidents still happen and repairing a HomePod might cost you more than you think. According to Apple, the repairs cost of an out-of-warranty Apple HomePod may set one back as much as $279. Not to mention a shipping fee of $20. You should consider taking up an AppleCare extended warranty before buying your Apple HomePod just in case something horribly wrong happens to your smart speaker. But then again, that is an extra $79 out of your pocket.

While the HomePod is undoubtedly a very nice looking and sounding smart speaker, it is still light years behind the competition. Buying it for the sake of owning one is not really enough to justify spending your hard-earned cash.