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Where It Stands: Apple HomePod
This is a review of the Original HomePod, released in 2018. That meant it was paired with the iPhone 6, to give you an idea of the time lapse here! The second generation was released in 2023, which means this first model had a 5 year life before the 2nd gen, which is pretty long for first generation technology. Let’s get into it.
Original Purchase Date: Spring 2018 (I did not review this product at time of purchase)
Time used between Purchase and Where it Stands: 6 years
I debated between the Sonos One and Apple HomePod at the time, and got to try them both. I went for Apple mostly because I thought it looked “cooler” and liked that it paired with my iPhone and Apple ecosystem. Sound-wise the two were the same to my non-audiophile ears. The speaker proved to be an amazing way to increase music playing in our house. Previously we’d been using a reciever and speakers with an iPod plugged into the Auxillary jack. With the HomePod, everything was just simple and the sound was amazing, and it stayed that way all these years.
A couple years ago we upgrade to a Samsung Frame TV. While the TV itself is pretty awesome (hidden on the wall of other framed pieces of art), the sound SUCKS! And the interface is almost un-usable. I do not recommend the Frame TV unless you plan to upgrade how you will use it with a Roku/FireTV/Apple TV setup. We choose, un-suprisingly, to pair an Apple TV, but that didn’t solve the sound issue, until I learned you could pair the HomePod as a soundbar! It worked almost seamlessly, and we have used the HomePod as our soundbar for the past couple of years. I imagine that two HomePods in stereo mode would be even better, but these things still cost $300, so we’re sticking with the one until it dies.
No review of an Apple product would be complete without mentioning Siri, the voice assistant. Most reviews are quick to call out the tool as “very bad”. Our house is ruled by a combo of Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri. We use Alexa to control our lights and other smarthome items. And we use Siri for music. Both assistants can set timers and tell you the weather just fine (though the Homepod couldn’t set timers when it first launched). They also both decide to start talking out of the blue for no reason. The Siri voice assistant is sure to get better when Apple rolls out “Apple Intelligence” in the next version of their Operating System in the fall of 2024, but for now, the voice assistant on the HomePod is fine. It’s functional. And rarely that annoying. As long as you don’t set your expectations too high.
We’ve seen no issue with sound quality over the 6 years that we’ve used the HomePod and recommend it to anyone looking for a high quality smart speaker. It’s best with Apple products, but it is also easy to use Spotify, which happens often with us, as we have a teenager in the house. Definitely a good product after all these years!
ElevatoR(eview) Verdict:
Design: Cup Half Full
Ease of Use: Cup Half Full
Sound Quality: Cup Half Full
Cost: Cup Half Empty
Overall: Cup Half Full
Long-form reviews of the current Apple HomePod to consider, when you have more time:
ElevatoR(eview): JBL Charge 3 Speaker
Tech reviews for the average consumer in under two minutes!
The JBL Charge 3 falls into the category of mid-tier consumer Bluetooth speakers. There are cheaper options for certain (JBL Clip 2 comes to mind) and there are much more expensive options (I’m looking at you Sonos and the upcoming Apple HomePOD). JBL makes quality speakers that focus on solid all-around sound without killing your pocketbook. This speaker is about 8 inches in height, and has great sound even at high 
volumes. I chose this speaker because it is wide range Bluetooth (100 feet without walls), waterproof (you can dunk this sucker), and it works with the Amazon Echo series of speakers (I pair this one with a Echo DOT). The sounds quality between this speaker and it’s younger brother the JBL Flip 4 was basically the same, at least to my ear (I’m no audiophile though). I chose the Charge 3 mainly because of it’s larger battery (20 hours) and it’s ability to charge devices on the go (it has a built in USB to charge your phone/tablet).
The only downside I’ve found with this speaker is pairing. I was able to pair 2 different phones (as advertised), but not consistently. Perhaps it was a fluke, but something to consider. Also pairing to my Amazon Echo DOT has been challenging, as it keeps losing the connection. As a bluetooth speaker, this thing rules. As a “smartspeaker” jerry-rigged with a DOT, there’s work to be done to make that experience smooth.
ElevatoR(eview) Verdict:
Design: Cup Half Full
Ease of Use (Bluetooth Speaker): Cup Half Full
Ease of Use (with Echo DOT): Cup Half Empty
Sound Quality: Cup Half Full
Cost: Cup Half Full
Overall: Cup Half Full
Long-form reviews to consider, when you have more time:
Alexa, turn on the living room lights! – The Echo Smartspeaker Keeps Getting Smarter
I’ve had the Echo Smartspeaker (containing the digital assistant named Alexa) since December 2014, and it’s been a fun ride as Amazon keeps pushing out new updates. In January the device received an update to push any music app running on your phone to the speaker via Bluetooth. That was the clincher for me, and now the Echo Speaker is used almost constantly when I’m home. But Amazon wasn’t done yet. Today the company announced a new update, which is the ability to pair Smart Home Technology. This let’s you control those devices with your voice. So what exactly does that mean? For now, it’s all about the light bulbs.
I’ve been anxious to get some WIFI enabled light bulbs. But they are pricey. A basic setup will require you to drop $100 on the low end, and several hundred isn’t out of the question. So my light bulbs remain “dumb” for now. A smart light bulb kit comes with a WIFI Link, which you plug into the wall and a couple light bulbs (you can always add more). Before Echo got involved, you controlled those bulbs with your smartphone, which is still pretty cool! But now you can pair those bulbs with the Echo Smartspeaker and simply tell the lights to turn on. Now, you gotta admit, that’s pretty awesome! I have a couple lamps that, based on their location, are a pain to turn on, and my dream of just telling them to turn on and off is close to becoming reality.
But the potential goes way beyond just light bulbs. The Echo Smartspeaker, since the very beginning, has been a signpost in tech showing us where smart technology in the home can take us. With smart device connections, one day you could tell the coffee maker to start in the morning, the doors to lock before going to bed, and the dishwasher to start in the middle of the night. Even Crock Pots are getting connected! There are so many possibilities, and the Echo Smartspeaker is just the first step in that direction.
Of course all first generation devices have their glitches and the speaker remains pricey at $200 (by invite only). Prime members still get a discount though at $150 (again, by invite only). If you want an invite click HERE.
I’ve had a lot of gadgets, but the best ones have always been those that integrate easily into my daily life, enhancing it and making things easier. Now I can ask for a news update any time of the day, I can ask for the current traffic report before hitting the road, and I can tell it to play any song in my music library and it does it, consistently well. And hopefully soon I’ll be turning the lights on and off with my voice! It’s exciting to see what this thing will do next!
Stay tuned.
Have a Cup of T(ech) 
