If you look on the Grammy Awards , you see a lot of Bruno Mars , a lot of Kendrick Lamar , and a lot ofHomePod . Apple ’s novel smart speaker was boast in several 15 - indorsement ad spots throughout the show , none more prominent than the one that immediately conform to Lamar ’s show - open up operation .
Thespotfeatured audio frequency of Lamar singing “ I got trueness ” from his hit call “ DNA , ” which he had incidentally just finished perform . It was as well - time as it was electric , capitalizing on a blistering performance and showcasing HomePod ’s street cred . For many masses , it was an introduction to HomePod that was n’t about Siri or home control or even technical school — it was about music .
TheHomePod ad — featuring a pitch-dark blind with the word HomePod across it and a clip of a democratic call — are remindful of theiPod silhouette adsof old . In each advertising , the Bible distort , spring , and otherwise dances to the music until the twist in short appears and gives fashion to the Apple logotype . The commecrials are effective and bold , and veer in good order to the pursuit , much like those iconic iPod ads : HomePod is built for music . In fact , if anyone watch over the show did n’t know what HomePod was , they would probably acquire it was just a kick - tush speaker for your iPhone .
It all remind me of the early mean solar day of the iPod : a high - priced twist that only work with Apple product . But while the strategy might have worked back in 2001 , it ’s going to be a much harder sell now .
Music with borders
HomePod might be the best - sound smart speaker out there , but you ask an iOS twist before you could buy one .
But they ca n’t . HomePod is undeniably a recess intersection , but Apple is pigeonhole it even further by requiring an iOS machine to apply it . Just like the original iPod — which was tied to the Mac and iTunes — Apple is trend off a large section of the medicine - love population .
If HomePod was a unique machine like iPod it would n’t be as much of an issue , but exchangeable mellow - fidelity smart speakers such as theGoogle Home MaxandSonos Onedon’t have a ironware necessary . And since Apple wants HomePod to be considered a high - ending audio equipment , the iOS lock - in is even more confounding .
That ’s not the shell with Google Home . you’re able to ask Google Assistant to play any song in your program library whether it was purchased through Google Play or not , but with HomePod , you ’ll need to pay for something , whether it ’s Apple Music ( $ 99 per year ) , iTunes Match ( $ 25 per year ) , or just buying $ 1.29 lead through iTunes . For a $ 349 twist , that ’s a luck of asterisks .
iPod all over again
When Apple unveil the iPod back in 2001 , it was unlike anything on the market place . It wasso uniqueand desireable it actually drove sales event of Macs to masses who want one so mischievously they were unforced to knock down their personal computer to get one . That plausibly wo n’t be the case with HomePod . By tying it to iOS and Apple Music , Apple is issue off a immense audience and unnecessarily hamstringing its unexampled fresh speaker .
The iPod had an reward that HomePod does n’t have .
Granted , HomePod is a new intersection and Apple tends to keep fresh products under its own tent before expand them to a wider audience , so it ’s potential that HomePod 3 launch the platform up to Android . But by then it might be too late . Apple does n’t own the digital music market like it did back in 2001 , and HomePod is n’t a one - of - a - kind machine like the iPod was . And let ’s not forget that even the gotta - see - it iPod did n’t really take off until Apple opened it up to PC users .
I ’m not questioning HomePod ’s sales . Apple has millions of truehearted customers who will be glad to plunk down $ 350 to put a HomePod in their home , and it will no doubt sell well in its first few months . But it stay to be see whether a lock - down twist built for one ecosystem will make an impact in such a private-enterprise market . Even AirPods can be used with Android phones , so Apple ’s strategy here is a risky one .
It ’s meet that the HomePod ’s first ad featured the lyric , “ I got loyalty . ” I just marvel if that ’s enough any longer .
