With the upcoming release of the Apple HomePod, many people are excited about the potential of Apple entering the smart speaker market. Whether you are an existing Amazon Echo user or someone who hasn’t yet tested the waters and is ready to see which product is right for your home, the Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo promises to be a battle of two industry giants (along with the Google Home). While we wait for the release of the Apple HomePod, we decided to dive into the specs to see what features and functions differentiate it from the Echo, and determine if the promise is enough to convert existing Echo users to the HomePod.
Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo: Features
One of the things that made Apple‘s iPhone stand out from the competition was the sound quality, and their HomePod is no exception. While the HomePod has a ways to go in terms of catching up to the capabilities and access to third party products that the Amazon Echo features, the sound from the HomePod fills the room…literally.
One unique aspect of the Apple HomePod is that it features an A8 chip that will automatically adjust sound settings based on the size of the room in which it is placed. By comparison, the Amazon Echo doesn‘t have nearly the depth of sound that the HomePod offers.
The Amazon Echo boasts access to over 10,000 third-party apps, making it far and away the more versatile of the two smart speakers. While the HomePod can always catch up, it has a ways to go before it can compete with bringing together all potential smart home devices.
HomePod vs Echo: Specs
Apple HomePod: 6.8 in. tall x 5.6 in. wide – 5.5 lbs.
While most people are familiar with the 2.5 pound, 6″ tall speaker from Amazon, the HomePod won’t look all too different, although it should be noted it is a bigger product. The HomePod features seven tweeters and a four-inch woofer that works great for mid and low range sound. There are six microphones that pick up vocal commands. Currently, the HomePod only syncs with Apple Music, although it’s possible for Apple to open this up to other third-party music services in the future.
The Amazon Echo 2nd Gen model is a definite upgrade over the first generation model. It now features a .6″ Dolby tweeter and 2.5″ woofer, so you can see why the sound doesn’t stack up to the HomePod. There are seven microphones on the Echo to pick up sound, and the Echo syncs up to multiple music services, like Pandora, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo: Price
The biggest and most noticeable difference between the Apple HomePod and Amazon Echo is the price. While the Echo has gone through a few different generations and ancillary products, and they are able to have driven the price down since the inception of the original Echo.
The Apple HomePod does have a steep price tag for a first generation product, but they promise to offer periodic updates that will add new features and abilities — think of it in the same way your iPhone requires software updates.
Amazon Echo (2nd Gen):
Apple HomePod: $349.00
HomePod vs Echo: Which is right for you?
The overwhelming opinion when it comes from determining what is the best home speaker is that the Echo has more functionality, and the HomePod produces better sound. If you are an avid Apple user and use Apple Music to play your songs, it’s probably worth the investment based on Apple’s history of solid products.
For most users, however, the Amazon Echo is the better product because of its functionality and all the third-party apps that work well with the speaker. We’re excited to see where the HomePod goes in the next year or two, but it’s probably worth the wait until the next generation before investing that kind of money in a smart speaker when the Echo is so affordable. Learn about all of the Amazon Alexa devices.
