Apple Releases HomePod 15.6 Software With Siri Voice Recognition in Additional Languages

Siri has really been keeping up with her daily DuoLingo classes!

Yeah, now Siri can misunderstand your request in 3 new languages! :-)

Geez, I am looking forward to every update only to be let down again.

I am *this close* to throw those HomePods out. Siri constantly misunderstands things or fails to register commands, sometimes it's playing back in "all rooms" but the volume buttons don't light up and then the system is always confused which song is playing where.

Also, the iPhone sometimes shows the controls for the song that I started via voice command, and sometimes it doesn't. Maddening.

I'd rather sometimes rather have DUMB wireless speakers!

Siri asks my wife "Who's speaking?" just about every day when she tries to play music, turn on/off lights, add something to the shopping list. This is one of my few high tech purchases over the last 28 years of marriage where she wants to throw it out the window! Who's speaking, Mmmm hmmm, no response to repeated questions, etc., etc., etc. These HomePods are spiraling out of control. What happened to my OG HomePods? Apple seems to have dumbed them down over the last 4 years. They used to respond to a whisper. Now, I have to yell at them most of the time. Did Apple turn down some setting on the network side to reduce backend processing, etc.? Something has changed. Does Apple expect users will trust their Apple Car if they can’t keep a HomePod running smoothly? Hey Siri, take me to work. ”Who’s speaking?” “One sec…” “this is taking a bit too long” “Mmm hmm?” And while I‘m on my rant, would it be too much to ask the HomePod team to inject a little “love“ into Siri when I tell her goodnight to turn on my ceiling fan, white noise, and turn off the lights? She replies “Goodnight” but it sounds more like a question.

I’m in a dual language household & really wish my HomePods (Siri) could communicate in two languages simultaneously like my Amazon Echo can.

I currently have several home pods and homepod mini's. While I really like the sound of the devices, the software for them has been my most disappointing experience with Apple products to date.

Yeah, Siri quality is increasingly embarrassing, especially when looking at the competition. Can’t argue away everything with data protection forever.

Every now and then I can / have to work with other assistants (LG, Amazon …). Each time the experience is so much better that I wonder whether I should switch ecosystems, at least related to home assistants.

If Siri does not noticeably improve in the foreseeable future (and with Thread/Matter progressing), it’s probably only a matter of time before I eventually cave in - last prime day I was really itching again … (disclaimer: my inner nerd also would prefer to wake the assistant with “Computer …!” ;-) )