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Apple Homepod Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Dec 14, 2023 7:59 PM

True Score

79
76
18

Experts

89
1,083

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

Top product testers were delighted by the Apple HomePod, and they recommended it for music, podcasts, and voice assistant functionality. They were impressed by its built-in Siri voice assistant, excellent soundstage, and low Wi-Fi latency. But they were disappointed that it doesn’t support Bluetooth streaming.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Apple HomePod is a premium wired smart speaker released in 2018, promising intelligent voice assistant features for indoor users.

Unlike most of the best speakers today, this device uses Apple AirPlay, connecting via Wi-Fi 5. It comes with Siri built-in, picking up voice commands from afar easily.

This speaker has a pleasant, neutral sound profile and retains audio quality even at high volume settings. Continue reading our Apple HomePod review.

Consensus

our Verdict

Experts adore the Apple HomePod, and they recommend it for music, podcasts, and voice assistant use. Testers at TechRadar hailed its controls and speakerphone functions.

Editors at RTINGS liked its portable 5.5-lb construction. It has a 360-degree design that boasts an outstanding 0.97 dB directivity index, providing excellent soundstage performance, although it lacks EQ settings.

See our Google Home Max review if you desire EQ settings. However, it does not support stereo. With a 53.4Hz to 19.1 kHz frequency response range and good 0.19 slope accuracy, this device produces well-balanced sounds.

However, it lacks low bass and is not well-suited to movies. Testers recorded a good 88.5 dB SPL and great 2.41 dB DRC compression at maximum volume.

With built-in Siri, this speaker’s voice assistant features are extraordinary, although it lacks a microphone mute button.

It connects to AirPlay via Wi-Fi- 5, and testers liked its decent 37 ms AirPlay latency.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Wi-Fi 5 tech with low latency
  • Outstanding 360-degree soundstage performance
  • Low compression at high volume
  • Balanced sound profile
  • Device gets loud

Reason to Avoid

  • Poor low bass is not suitable for movies
  • Lacks speakerphone functions
  • Not ideal for outdoor use
  • No Bluetooth
  • Doesn’t support stereo

Apple Homepod Specs

Wireless ConnectivityWireless ConnectivityBluetooth, Wi-Fi
Works WithWorks WithAmazon Alexa

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Product Comparison

Apple Homepod Review

True Score

79
86
81
83

Ranking

#

85

/

109

#

8

/

109

#

63

/

109

#

37

/

109

Market Context

The Apple HomePod is a premium wired smart speaker released in 2018, promising intelligent voice assistant features for indoor users. Unlike most of the best speakers…

The Apple HomePod is a premium wired smart speaker released in 2018, promising intelligent voice assistant features for indoor users.

Unlike most of the best speakers today, this device uses Apple AirPlay, connecting via Wi-Fi 5. It comes with Siri built-in, picking up voice commands from afar easily.

This speaker has a pleasant, neutral sound profile and retains audio quality even at high volume settings. Continue reading our Apple HomePod review.

The Apple HomePod has a more balanced sound profile, featuring a more neutral 0.19 frequency response slope than the -1.22 of the Amazon Echo Gen…

The Apple HomePod has a more balanced sound profile, featuring a more neutral 0.19 frequency response slope than the -1.22 of the Amazon Echo Gen 4. However, the Amazon device supports Bluetooth, unlike the Apple device, which uses AirPlay.

Unlike the Sonos One Gen 2 that struggles to pick up voice commands in noisy environments, the built-in Siri voice assistant in Apple HomePod picks…

Unlike the Sonos One Gen 2 that struggles to pick up voice commands in noisy environments, the built-in Siri voice assistant in Apple HomePod picks up voice commands well. Although these two devices have a similar maximum SPL dB, the Apple has a lower 2.41 dB DRC sound compression than the 4.89 dB of the Sonos portable speaker.

The Apple HomePod has a more neutral sound profile, featuring a lower 0.19 slope than the -0.41 slope of the Apple HomePod mini. The HomePod…

The Apple HomePod has a more neutral sound profile, featuring a lower 0.19 slope than the -0.41 slope of the Apple HomePod mini. The HomePod also gets louder, boasting a higher 88.5 dB SPL that beats the 76.7 dB SPL of the mini. See our Apple HomePod mini review for details about the mini.

Wireless Connectivity

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

Works With

Amazon Alexa

Dig Deeper

Amazon Echo Gen 4 Review →

Sonos One Gen 2 Review →

Apple Homepod Mini Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

76

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

89

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

79

Any product with a True Score above 70 is a Mixed Reviews

Expert Scores

  • Sound Guys
    81.17

    Category Trust Rating

    83
    Despite its faults, the Homepod has the potential to be an even better smart speaker… Read More

    By:

    Adam Molina
  • PC Mag
    43.6

    Category Trust Rating

    70
    The HomePod excels as a high-quality smart speaker for listening to Apple Music, but trails… Read More

    By:

    Sascha Segan
  • Tom’s Guide
    65.58

    Category Trust Rating

    70
    Apple’s first smart speaker sounds amazing, but Siri needs to do more to compete with… Read More

    By:

    Unknown
  • Trusted Reviews
    45.5

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    Technically the best-sounding smart speaker, the Apple HomePod is a compact marvel that automatically adjusts… Read More

    By:

    David Ludlow
  • CNET
    36.25

    Category Trust Rating

    79
    Apple’s $349 HomePod has excellent bass and consistently superior sound quality across a wide variety… Read More

    By:

    Unknown
  • Techradar
    43

    Category Trust Rating

    70
    With the Apple HomePod, we’re really reviewing two things at once: a premium speaker and… Read More

    By:

    Gareth Beavis