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pwt
Virtuoso
June 8, 2017

Hey Siri, ...

- Hey Siri, can I have a HomePod today?
- Hey Siri, can I get a HomePod subwoofer?
- Hey Siri, can I get a HomePod 5.1 system?
- Hey Siri, does HomePod sound as good as a SONOS PLAY:5?
- Hey Siri, do you have an Ethernet port? (Or do I need something from Apple Dongle Universe?)
- Hey Siri, can I use Alexa, Google Home or Cortana?
- Hey Siri, play a track from Spotify
- Hey Siri, play a track from Deezer
- Hey Siri, play a track from Tidal
- Hey Siri, play a track from Amazon Music
- Hey Siri, OK, play a track from anywhere other than Apple Music
- Hey Siri, play a track from one of my local music collections
- Hey Siri, can I plug in my turntable?
- Hey Siri, can you create your own dedicated WiFi network?
- Hey Siri, is there an Android controller app.?
- Hey Siri, …

Siri says ‘No’.

I love all my Apple gear, in which I have much more money invested than in Sonos. I’m sure HomePod will be very nice and will take sales away from Sonos and others. However, depending on what you want to do, there’s really some clear water between what Sonos has today, what Sonos will have once Alexa integration lands, and what Apple won’t even have for another six months (at least).

Innovation is good. Competition is good. Growing the market is good.
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    38 replies

    ratty
    June 8, 2017
    Well said.
    melvimbe
    June 8, 2017
    I imagine there are a ton of customers out there who won't give a crap about your questions or even understand why they are important. All they want is Apple, so if it works with everything Apple, that's what they want.

    As far as the market goes, it's quite possible that everyone increases sales this year since the 'need' for a voice assistant/multi-room/wireless audio is increasing.
    Danny
    chicks
    June 8, 2017
    Just 18% of smartphones shipped last quarter had iOS installed. 80% had Android. As always, Apple is overhyped.

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2017/2/16/14634656/android-ios-market-share-blackberry-2016
    Temperamental
    Trending Lyricist I
    June 8, 2017
    I can't stand the looks of Android, Material Design included. Android is weak at its core and it is a stolen product.

    The only reason Android has the biggest market share is because it's free.
    Apple makes over 90% of that industry profits with their "small" marketshare.

    I have no issues with the Apple EcoSystem.
    jgatie
    June 8, 2017
    But you have to admit that you may not be concerned with market share, profit share means nothing to a company like Sonos when compared to the weight given to actual market share. So even if one brings a secondary point about average income of an Apple user vs. Android to the party, chicks point about overall market share is valid and applicable.
    Temperamental
    Trending Lyricist I
    June 8, 2017
    Of course but SONOS is large enough to cover the cost of their global operations and be profitable.
    The question is what does the future hold for them.
    They could be content now (and profitable) but the marketplace won't let them rest so they must continue to grow.
    melvimbe
    June 8, 2017
    Of course but SONOS is large enough to cover the cost of their global operations and be profitable.
    The question is what does the future hold for them.
    They could be content now (and profitable) but the marketplace won't let them rest so they must continue to grow.


    Sonos has said the exact same thing. They have said that they must get involved with voice control and have promised to do something with Amazon this year. Amazon being the biggest player in the market right now...not Apple. Honestly, I can't imagine the people who want SONOS and want Homepod is probably rather small since there is a lot of feature overlap. I would also imagine (I don't know) that of the 3, Amazon, Google, and Apple...Apple would be the one who least wants to do business with Sonos because of the feature overlap (which Apple created by the way).

    I'm just not seeing why Sonos needs to drop everything and do whatever Apple fans want, at the expense of everything else, or fear going out of business.
    Danny
    Temperamental
    Trending Lyricist I
    June 8, 2017
    Because the most vocal Apple users are passionate and are on forums demanding things.
    I thought the SONOS owners were too but I am starting to realize they do a lot of winning but it isn't the same level of affection for the brand you might find with Amex, BMW or Apple.
    Apple users call the company, they call SONOS, they fill out feedback forms and track down executives to send unsolicited emails... :)

    This voice command craze is novel and is driving the sales of gizmos.
    It comes in waves, people go out and spend money on toys they won't be using 3 years from now.
    Who can blame some companies for wanting to let the dust settle?
    It's risky though because for some it will mean being left behind.
    Even then, anyone can leap forward and introduce an amazing product to stage a comeback. SONOS will prob. delight its customer base soon.

    This trend will be good for SONOS. I talk to regular people and it is true: they don't really enjoy music let alone have a multiroom set-up at home. In those cases though, the price objection comes up immediately. It takes a tech respect/ inclination to look past that.

    I cringed when Patrick Spence (a former RIM exec) explained he looked to his kids (with the Amazon dots or whatever it was) to catch a glimpse into the future/ what's trendy. All these execs say the same thing, I have heard that from VC execs too. The difference is that the latter operate on a momentum strategy whereas companies like SONOS are in the business of shaping that future.

    @melvimbe I am curious, do you use any Apple product(s)?
    ratty
    June 8, 2017
    people go out and spend money on toys they won't be using 3 years from now..Could that perhaps be on account of planned obsolescence by the manufacturer? Now, I wonder which company immediately springs to mind... hmm....
    Temperamental
    Trending Lyricist I
    June 8, 2017
    people go out and spend money on toys they won't be using 3 years from now..Could that perhaps be on account of planned obsolescence by the manufacturer? Now, I wonder which company immediately springs to mind... hmm....


    Are you sure you meant company (singular)?

    Whirlpool?


    🙂