I’ve been thinking about what’s missing from Google Home and Echo that Apple could improve on.
The list is long; a voice-controlled shopping experience that includes non-Apple shops, deep settings control with voice commands, skipping a few seconds ahead in a track and many others.
One thing is clear, Apple’s HomePod should flatten its Echo and Home competitors in the sound department. But in terms of functionality, we’re still completely in the dark.
Apple’s presentation at WWDC - and subsequent press release - of the HomePod were light on details around what the clever stuff the speaker can do, with only a short paragraph dedicated to non-audio tech specs on Apple’s press release:
“As a home assistant, HomePod is a great way to send messages, get updates on news, sports and weather, or control smart home devices by simply asking Siri to turn on the lights, close the shades or activate a scene. When away from home, HomePod is the perfect home hub, providing remote access and home automations through the Home app on iPhone or iPad.”
Obviously we can extrapolate a few things from that description. Namely some integration with Homekit, sending voice messages via your iPhone and other standard update services.
But we’re none the wiser about a number of things. Will there be any HomePod specific Siri features? Will there be integration with Apple TV in the same way Google Home and Chromecast interact? Will third parties be able to build voice apps? Will there be voice apps? What more does it do that the competition doesn’t? I quizzed Apple about this, but it’s not prepared to reveal anything until launch.
The final question is perhaps the most important. I’ve reviewed both Home and Echo extensively. Put them both through multiple tests of endless, awkward questions and come to this conclusion: they’re a bit pointless.
The shine of having a robotic voice bellow back answers to your questions wears off fairly quickly. Why? Because there’s a additional, undeniable, rigmarole to using your voice instead of doing a task manually. Asking Home to beam content to one of your Chromecasts - which will probably take a few requests - is slower than just tapping the cast button on your phone. Or going through several menus on a route planner on Echo is much, much slower than just looking at CityMapper.
I was hoping that some Apple finesse would solve this. That the Cupertino-based company would find a way of making a home assistant genuinely worthwhile whilst also looking good. I guess to an extent Apple has done exactly that by admitting it can’t compete (yet) in the smart stakes because Siri is behind its competitors. Focussing instead on making the home music experience more seamless.
There’s an open goal here, to turn a gimmicky concept into an essential household item. Neither Google nor Amazon have achieved that yet. The fear, obviously, is that this is pretty much it. A good speaker and Siri. As it stands, that sounds like an accurate description.
