When Tim Cook took the stage to wrap up the WWDC 2017 keynote on Monday with one final announcement, he clearly had saved the most interesting for last. The HomePod isn’t Apple’s first entry into the high-end home audio market — the iPod Hi-Fi is still fresh in the memory of many Apple fans — but it is the first Siri-enabled device meant to occupy a place on your countertop or coffee table. These are uncharted waters for both Apple and its quirky virtual assistant, and even if the HomePod is currently being pitched primarily to music lovers, it’s also an exciting device for smart home diehards and gadget lovers in general. So, what are people saying about it? I’m so glad you asked…
Opinions are, as you might expect, quite varied. This always happens during a product announcement, and Apple’s pricing is always a hot topic during these events. As for the HomePod, some find it absolutely mind-blowingly awesome:
Got to hear the HomePod and let me just say wow it sounds amazing. As good as super high end home theatre speakers I’ve heard.
— Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) June 5, 2017
HomePod is ridiculously under-priced for the reference-grade sound quality it produces. Like AirPods, Apple is looking for marketshare. pic.twitter.com/IImm7tvuqN
— Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele) June 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/reneritchie/status/871871773926711302
And there are an equal number of people who think it’s just a bit waste of money:
Apple innovate once again by copying their competitors and making it double the price. Amazing #Homepod
— Oli Joel (@OligopolyJoel) June 5, 2017
Why buy one overpriced HomePod when you can get two at twice the price?
— Corey Roth (@coreyroth) June 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/BScottX/status/871969224457154564
But at the end of the day, all we really care about is how quickly the internet can turn any given announcement into a huge joke. That didn’t take very long with the HomePod, and there’s plenty to enjoy:
Turns out I already have a #HomePod pic.twitter.com/VFUY6jfPIm
— Raz (@raztweets) June 5, 2017
Wow, the #HomePod comes in so many colours! #wwdc2017 pic.twitter.com/Bf4slYNlEC
— Michael Gillett | #WIMVP (@MichaelGillett) June 5, 2017
Just got the new Apple #Homepod. Jealous suckers? pic.twitter.com/bnGXxDAgqb
— Ody Granados (@Odymon) June 5, 2017
Already hard at work manufacturing the revolutionary new HomePod for you. #WWDC17 #HomePod pic.twitter.com/VULuI5cSRc
— ᴺᴼᵀ Jony Ive (@JonyIveParody) June 5, 2017
Am I the only one who thinks the new HomePod looks like a 2013 Mac Pro shoved into a fishnet stocking??? #wwdc2017 #HomePod pic.twitter.com/SIjNeZQhS1
— sarah (@sarahbeeknits) June 5, 2017
HomePod is going to be the most expensive scratching post my cat has ever had.
— Jessie Char (@jessiechar) June 5, 2017
Combining all of these scorching hot takes into one cohesive opinion is tough, but we’re going to go with: Apple’s HomePod is a roll of toilet paper wrapped in thread, that costs way too much, but sounds totally amazing.
