1. Technical Poem

                                                               

Count me not as an ordinary cylinder,

Far advanced I am from what you wonder.

Bell ˡ gave birth to my ancestors long ago,

Not knowing, one day how far would I go.

While my precursors utter with what they’re fed,

I, Siri, have a spirit in my body, and a framework in my head.

Talk to me, my soul awaits to hear you,

I am full of life, I speak back to you.

Neither I sleep, nor do I tire,

So long as electrons sprint in my wires.

Sorry to boast but I am the host,

Control the lights or adjust your thermostat,

Reading morning herald, or music playback,

Sit and relax while I’ve got your back.

1 Graham Bell invented the first loudspeaker

 

1. Introduction

When Graham Bell patented the first electric loudspeaker back in 1876, it would have been beyond human imagination to foretell that 150 years later mankind will invent interactive speakers capable of not just generating sound but also hearing their masters. In recent years, smart-speakers have been flooded into the market by companies like Google and Amazon. However, Apple Incorporation, a multinational technology company, has also introduced their most recent invention in the product line, ‘HomePod’, which is a high-tech breakthrough speaker that adapts to its location and delivers high fidelity audio. The HomePod is Apple’s iteration of a smart home speaker to go head to head with Amazon’s Echo and Google Home. However, Apple’s pioneering technology outruns its competitors and dominates the market through its expertise. The smart-speaker is integrated with Apple’s audio assistant, known as Siri,  Apple Music support and more features including HomeKit.

1. Design and Parts
2. Outer Body

Apple’s HomePod carries a cylindrical body with rounded edges at the top and the bottom. According to HomePod (2018), it stands 172-millimeter tall by 142 mm in diameter and being much heavier than other contestants in the competition, it retains a mass of 2.5 Kilograms. Company’s experts also claim that the body is covered in a 3D mesh fabric, which is chosen for its acoustic properties. (HomePod, 2018) The top is integrated with a touch surface which lights up colorfully when triggered, allowing users to play/pause music and adjust the volume. There is no screen since the smart-speaker is built upon the idea of minimizing touch experience and relying mainly on voice control.

2. A8 Chip

The smart-speaker runs on Apple’s highly efficient A8 chip which first appeared on Apple iPhone 6 in September 2014. Apple states that it has 25% more CPU performance and roughly 50% more graphics performance while consuming only 50% of the power of its predecessor, the A7. (Savov, 2014)

The new A8-series chips are manufactured using the 20-nanometer process, smaller than the 28-nanometer A7 chips, allowing the system to be inherently faster at the same time delivering improved battery life. (Evans, 2014)

3. High-excursion Woofer

A ‘woofer’ is a term used to describe loudspeakers which reproduces sounds of low pitch, while ‘excursion’ is a characteristic for sound, defined as how far the cone of a speaker moves linearly from its resting position. (Merriam Webster) Apple’s HomePod is equipped with a central 4-inch high-excursion woofer that’s upward firing providing depth to the music. (Apple Insider, 2018) Since HomePod features high-excursion woofer, the woofer diaphragm has a greater travel, precisely 20 mm which Apple says is remarkable for a woofer of that size. (HomePod, 2018) Higher travel allows more air to be moved, creating more bass in the sound.

4. Six-microphone, & Seven-tweeter array

Furthermore, the smart-speaker consists of an array of six microphones which ensures the activity of voice command function even during loud music are played. Apple Insider’s (2018) reviewers explains in depth the features of HomePod speaker. According to their analysis, the low-frequency calibration microphone measures the bass, then automatically tunes and corrects it. This feature has allowed Apple to reduce distortion and noise greatly which is a mainstream problem in subwoofers. (Apple Insider, 2018) Furthermore Apple itself highlights an internal bass-EQ microphone found in their device, which analyzes and compensates for the effect of the room on sound quality, providing rich and consistent sound. The company also asserts that HomePod’s seven beamforming tweeters, create a tremendous directional control sending the flow of music toward the center and then out the bottom in a 360-degree pattern. (HomePod, 2018)

• Features

1. Siri

Siri is Apple’s digital assistant which first appeared on the iPhone 4S and it was described by Apple as the best thing on the iPhone during the launch presentation. Siri is a friendly and interactive assistant, trying in the best of its abilities to execute mainstream tasks on just your voice command. HomePod uses the same built-in smart assistant. It can respond to a range of queries, for example, helping you find directions, send a text message, make a reservation or even read news for you.

2. HomeKit

Apple HomeKit is a platform based in iOS(operating system) for controlling your smart home. The idea behind the creation of HomeKit was simply to eliminate a ton of different smart home apps on your phones that don’t speak to each other. HomeKit pairs itself with compatible electronics in and around your house making it easier than ever to control lights, thermostats, coffeemaker, alarms, and security cameras and numerous other devices even when you are away from home.

 

1. Audio Technology and Mechanism

Perhaps, now we will learn the exceptional technology behind Apple’s version of smart-speaker. The phenomenal sound mechanism developed by Apple distinguishes HomePod from an ordinary speaker in your living room. Apple Insider’s (2018) detailed assessment about HomePod draws attention of audiophiles. Its experts claim that echo cancellation system integrated inside the speaker is what allows Siri to understand anyone speaking to it in the room, regardless of their position in relation to the HomePod.

Figure 7: Audio Technology (Insider, 2018)

The report also mentions that one of the biggest challenges faced by audio-speaker manufacturers is to ensure the optimal audio experience for the user regardless where they are in the room. It explains how moving a speaker around a room alters the sound reflections substantially. While bouncing around the room, the reflections can distort the sound in various ways, causing some resonant frequencies to become inconsistently louder. (Apple Insider, 2018)  However, Apple has taken into consideration all these aspects while designing their product. HomePod has advanced sensors that detect the space it is in, so it knows when its next to a wall or in a corner. The speaker utilizes audio beamforming technology to focus the sound towards the center of the room while preventing the sound going towards the walls. This innovation has secured Apple a significant position in the smart-speaker industry shortly after its initial release in early 2018.

1. Conclusion

In conclusion, the launch of smart-speakers has entirely mutated the loudspeaker industry in an irreversible way. Tech companies including Apple have made a considerable impression on consumers who are awed by incredible features of HomePod. No more worrying about placing your speaker near to a wall or moving it into the center of the room to minimize sound distortion. HomePod is smart enough to detect its neighborhood producing sound frequency accordingly. There is no more hassle of plugging in USBs or connecting a bundle of wires into your loudspeakers to play your favorite music.  Accessing your calendar, news, and texting is just one voice control away. Innovations like HomePod are without doubt a clear indication of how far technology will take us one day.

References

Andrey. (2014, September 24).Figure 4 A8-chip. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from

http://iphoneroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/a8-chip-samsung.jpg

Apple HomePod. Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2018, from

https://www.apple.com/homepod

Apple Insider (2018). Retrieved November 10, 2018, from

https://appleinsider.com/futures/homepod

Ducklin, P. (2017, July 17). Figure 6 Siri [Digital image]. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2017/07/17/the-iphone-lockscreen-hole-that-we-cant-reproduce/

Evans, J. (2014, August 25). 10 things we know about Apple. Retrieved November 5, 2018,

from https://www.computerworld.com/article/2598716/smartphones/10-things-we-know-about-apple-s-new-iphone-6-a8-chip.html

HomePod. (2018). Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://www.apple.com/homepod/

Insider, A. (2018, January 23). Figure 7 Apple HomePod Explained [Digital image]. Retrieved

November 7, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkS6MnuvbCc&t=283s

Merriam Webster (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2018, from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/

Phelan, D. (2018, February 6). Figure 5.  Apple HomePod Reviews Retrieved November 7,

2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2018/02/06/apple-homepod-reviews-irreproachably-good-audio-mixed-verdicts-on-smarts/#5027e9f96c07

Savov, V. (2014, September 09). IPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have a new faster A8 processor.

Retrieved November 5, 2018, from https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/9/6127111/iphone-6-and-iphone-6-plus-have-a-new-faster-a8-processor