Apple's HomePod problem isn't hardware, it's the assistant that never grew up

What would "good enough" even look like?

Here's where I'll complicate my own argument a bit. The feature Apple needs to make HomePod stand out, as ZDNet points out in a separate piece, isn't even audio-related. It's about making Siri contextually aware, able to understand follow-up questions, remember what you asked thirty seconds ago, and integrate properly with the broader Apple ecosystem in ways that feel seamless rather than stitched together.

Now, some folks will argue that Apple's privacy-first approach limits what Siri can do. There's something to that, I suppose, processing everything on-device means less data to train on. Others counter that Apple has enough resources to solve this problem if they really wanted to, they just haven't made it a priority. I'm honestly not sure which camp is right, and it's too early to say whether Apple's reported AI improvements will actually move the needle.

What I do know is that the current state of affairs is frustrating for anyone who's bought into the Apple ecosystem. You've got the watch, the phone, the tablet, the laptop, maybe even the TV box, and then you go to buy a speaker and the best advice is "get a Sonos and use it with AirPlay." That's not a great look for a company that prides itself on integration.

The kids building AI assistants get it

Here's what strikes me about the current moment. You've got all these young founders, and I say that with affection even if it sounds dismissive, building AI assistants that can hold actual conversations. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, whatever your poison. They're not perfect, they hallucinate, they get things wrong, but they feel like they're improving month over month. Siri feels like it's been in maintenance mode.

Apple's reportedly working on integrating more advanced AI into Siri. Great! But we've been promised smarter Siri for, what, three or four years now? The company that revolutionized smartphones and tablets and wireless earbuds seems weirdly unable to make its voice assistant competitive. I don't fully understand why, and I'm not sure anyone outside Cupertino does either.

The HomePod hardware is genuinely good. I want to recommend it! But until Siri catches up, I can't in good conscience tell someone to choose it over a Sonos Era 100 or a Bose Home Speaker. And that's a shame, because the audio quality really is excellent.

So what happens next

If Apple announces meaningful Siri improvements at its next event, and those improvements actually ship in a usable form within a few months, the calculus changes. A HomePod with a competent assistant would be a compelling product for anyone already using Apple devices. The integration potential is there, it's just unrealized.

But if we get another round of demos that look impressive on stage and then arrive half-baked or delayed indefinitely, well, I've seen that pattern too. It's the self-driving car hype cycle all over again, just with less physical danger and more mild annoyance when your kitchen timer doesn't work right.

For now, my recommendation remains the same as it's been for a couple years: if you want a smart speaker and you're in the Apple ecosystem, get a good Sonos or Bose speaker and use AirPlay. You'll lose some integration, but you'll gain an assistant that actually assists. When Siri grows up, maybe we can revisit. But what do I know, I'm still the guy who prefers email.

If you want to argue about this, my email's on the about page. I'm genuinely curious whether I'm being too harsh here or not harsh enough.

James Chen · 31 May · 3 min