Review | Apple’s HomePod smart speaker can hear Cantonese whispers, but only works with iOS products
- The HomePod has been adapted for use in Hong Kong, hence its late release
- It offers intelligent omnidirectional sound, the ability to be paired for stereo sound, but is only compatible with Apple hardware and software
When Apple releases a new product, Hong Kong is usually among the first markets, but the company’s smart home speaker – HomePod – took nearly a year to reach Hong Kong shelves.
Why the hold-up? Apple declined to offer a reason, but after testing a pair of HomePods for a week, I suspect it had to do with the Hong Kong-specific features that have been built in.
Hardware and design
The HomePod is an oval device wrapped in fabric mesh and stands 172mm tall, weighs 2.5kg and has a circumference of 142mm. It’s a fair bit bulkier than competitors such as the Google Home and Amazon Echo, but the HomePod still keeps a stylish, minimalistic look that should fit in the kitchen or living room.
At the top of the device is a display that blends seamlessly into the rest of the body. It can’t – or at least it doesn’t – display images or videos like Amazon’s offering; instead it lights up a glowing bubble that represents Siri, and displays two touch buttons for volume controls. You can’t do anything else with the screen.
Not that you’d need to or want to. The point of owning a smart home hub with a built-in digital assistant is to command it via voice, and to this end the HomePod is the best performer by virtue of being the best listener.