In her award-winning and critically acclaimed book, "The God of Small Things", Arundhati Roy talks about how human beings are creature of habits, "and it was amazing the kind of things one could get used to." Roy, of course, was talking in a completely different context but it holds a lot of relevance among the habits of people in the digital universe. If there's one brand that has mastered the art of playing on this "creature of habit" thing, then it has to be Apple. Ask any Apple user and they'll say that they're so used to the Apple ecosystem that they just can't get out of it. The Apple ecosystem, of course, gets further enabled if one uses a MacBook, an iPhone, Apple Watch. This ecosystem has a new addition now: the HomePod.
While there is no news on when and whether the HomePod will be launched in India or not, the international media and tech experts have given their verdicts on the HomePod. As is the case with Apple products, or rather most tech products, the HomePod too has its fair share of pros and cons. Yet, one thing does stand out in the HomePod. The HomePod is the epitome of being completely caged down in the Apple ecosystem.
As a brand, Apple has always aimed — and more or less got it — for that exclusivity. However, over the years, it hasn't been so tight fisted and allowed third-party developers to enter its ecosystem. Most recently, WhatsApp was finally integrated into Apple's CarPlay. While both MacOS and iOS are relatively 'freer' and allow access to a lot of third-party apps, the HomePod reportedly doesn't do so.
We already know that if — and a lot of people use it for this only — you want to listen to music on the HomePod, you can't connect it to anything but Apple Music. Spotify or any other third-party service doesn't work on the HomePod. A big reason why most Apple users find it difficult to switch is that it offers great synergy. If you have an iPhone and a MacBook, there's seamless integration and the sense of great familiarity. Apple is again playing on this with the HomePod but perhaps taking it to an extreme.
$349 or roughly Rs 22,500 is a lot of money for a smart speaker and with the inability to use it with very few non-Apple services will be a challenge for Apple. At least in India. While there's a growing cult of Apple in the country, third-party services still enjoy more popularity than Apple services. Google Maps is infinitely more popular and better than what Apple has on offer. The same goes for Google Chrome. There's also the apprehension about Apple's ARKit and how will it compatible with other devices and products to fully utilise the smart speaker.
Price has never been a deterrent for those who have fallen hook, line and sinker for the cult of Apple. Look at the sales of iPhone X even though it is one of the most expensive smartphones around. So, HomePod won't have too much trouble hitting the right numbers. However, whether it hits the right notes with those who aren't charmed by the Apple ecosystem will be the Cupertino-based company's biggest challenge.
While there is no news on when and whether the HomePod will be launched in India or not, the international media and tech experts have given their verdicts on the HomePod. As is the case with Apple products, or rather most tech products, the HomePod too has its fair share of pros and cons. Yet, one thing does stand out in the HomePod. The HomePod is the epitome of being completely caged down in the Apple ecosystem.
As a brand, Apple has always aimed — and more or less got it — for that exclusivity. However, over the years, it hasn't been so tight fisted and allowed third-party developers to enter its ecosystem. Most recently, WhatsApp was finally integrated into Apple's CarPlay. While both MacOS and iOS are relatively 'freer' and allow access to a lot of third-party apps, the HomePod reportedly doesn't do so.
We already know that if — and a lot of people use it for this only — you want to listen to music on the HomePod, you can't connect it to anything but Apple Music. Spotify or any other third-party service doesn't work on the HomePod. A big reason why most Apple users find it difficult to switch is that it offers great synergy. If you have an iPhone and a MacBook, there's seamless integration and the sense of great familiarity. Apple is again playing on this with the HomePod but perhaps taking it to an extreme.
$349 or roughly Rs 22,500 is a lot of money for a smart speaker and with the inability to use it with very few non-Apple services will be a challenge for Apple. At least in India. While there's a growing cult of Apple in the country, third-party services still enjoy more popularity than Apple services. Google Maps is infinitely more popular and better than what Apple has on offer. The same goes for Google Chrome. There's also the apprehension about Apple's ARKit and how will it compatible with other devices and products to fully utilise the smart speaker.
Price has never been a deterrent for those who have fallen hook, line and sinker for the cult of Apple. Look at the sales of iPhone X even though it is one of the most expensive smartphones around. So, HomePod won't have too much trouble hitting the right numbers. However, whether it hits the right notes with those who aren't charmed by the Apple ecosystem will be the Cupertino-based company's biggest challenge.
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