The HomePod, in typical Apple fashion, is a beautiful cylindrical smart home speaker that emphasizes audio quality over smart home features. However, before you buy one, there are several limitations that you should be aware of:
Siri
Unlike the Amazon Echo and Google Home, Siri does not function all that well as a voice assistant. Instead, Siri on the HomePod is more useful for asking for something from Apple Music. Even then, the results are not particularly encouraging. Some argue that like all Apple products, the HomePod will iterate and improve over time, especially the software. However, it has been seven years since the launch of Siri, and the service seriously lags the competition.
Music Services
The other smart home speakers in this space allow you to listen to music from third-party streaming services. The HomePod only supports Apple Music, and there is no intention to open up the platform to third parties at this time. It is quite likely that Apple will keep the HomePod in its closed ecosystem. Unfortunately, this also means no support for third-party podcasting apps.
Placement
There was a lot of noise about how the HomePod leaves white rings on wooden surfaces, and it is a real concern. Most people will place these devices in common rooms where most of the furniture is wooden, unlike other devices which usually end up on the kitchen counter.