I like Apple products. I have an iPhone, an iPad, and I like the AirPod headphones.
But I have an Amazon Echo already. So it seems late for Apple to be getting into the voice-activated home speaker market.
Why would I want an Apple HomePod if I already have a voice-activated system that I like?
According to CNET, sound quality.
But otherwise, as CNET puts it, the speaker is "trapped in Apple's world."
However, buying a HomePod means you're signing up for a speaker that's limited to Apple's music services, smart home products and operating system. For example, you can't play Spotify and other third-party music services straight from the HomePod. You have to send that audio to your Apple speaker from your phone. You really need to be OK with that to justify buying one right now unless you don't care about anything but its stellar sound quality. Everyone else should wait to see what Apple will add to this promising speaker in the months ahead, above and beyond the already promised stereo pairing and multiroom AirPlay 2 features.
That's what I think most people (including me) will do. Some feature will need to be introduced in the future that I can't live without - otherwise, I am glad to continue to talk to Alexa.
By the way, if you tell Alexa (or your Google Home) to stream "Newsradio 1040 WHO," it will!