At its Worldwide Developer Conference in 2017, Apple officially took the wraps off of its oft-rumored speaker in the form of HomePod. The device acts as a standalone way for users to interact with Siri, play music, and more. Tim Cook touts this as Apple’s effort to “reinvent home music” just as it did with products like the iPod.
Prior to announcing Apple’s product, Phil Schiller explained that Apple has worked to take what companies like Sonos and Amazon have done and create a “breakthrough home speaker.”
Schiller explained that a successful speaker must “rock the house,” have “spatial awareness,” and “be a musicologist.”
To offer strong sound quality, the devices features a 7 tweeter array with precision acoustic horns and directional control. There’s also an Apple-designed 4-inch woofer and it’s powered by Apple’s A8 chip. It measures in at just under 7-inches tall and features a mesh design.
HomePod 11.4 Software Update
HomePod’s 11.4 update shipped with two notable features — AirPlay 2 and Stereo Pairing (originally promised at launch, but was delayed). It also included Calendar support, which lets you check, add, edit, and delete appointments to configured calendars.
AirPlay 2
The flagship feature of the 11.4 update was the long-awaited launch of AirPlay 2. The biggest advantage that AirPlay 2 brought to the table is multi-room audio support. AirPlay 2’s multi-room audio allows iOS users to stream music or podcasts to supported devices in any room using Control Center’s destination controls, in-app controls, or Siri.
With AirPlay 2 you can do things like:
Quickly see what’s playing in every room on every speaker
Play the same song, in sync, in every room
Play different songs on different speakers
Use Siri to play different songs in different rooms
Stream to rooms without grouping speakers
Because speakers are configured via the Home app, they are easily assigned to rooms, and users can address those specific rooms when using Siri.
Stereo Pairing in HomePod
Stereo pairing utilizes an Apple-designed wireless peer-to-peer direct link to talk with each other and play music in sync. Thanks to the A8 SoC, each HomePod is able to automatically sense its location in the room, and establish its own audio channel (left or right). In other words, there’s very little end-user configuration needed once a stereo pair is established.
The advanced beamforming provides a wider soundstage than a traditional stereo pair setup. Apple says that by stereo pairing two HomePods, an almost three-dimensional soundstage is created, providing room-filling sound with enhanced bass extension, and a deeper, more accurate reproduction of low frequencies.
Creating a HomePod stereo pair is straightforward, and when two HomePods are set up in the same room, users are automatically prompted to create a stereo pair.
HomePod Pricing
HomePod mini: small, capable, and colorful
Matthew Rodarmel - Nov. 29th 2021 8:30 pm EST
The original HomePod "died" a few months ago. Apple stopped selling the original HomePod earlier this year, the only options are now to buy a HomePod mini, a used HomePod, or hunt for something else entirely.
Though it lacks the original HomePod's incredible sound quality, the HomePod mini is a good smart speaker that outperforms the original in other areas. With the debut of three new HomePod mini colors last week, I thought it was a good moment to go over some of the best aspects of the device.
HomePod mini Colors
The HomePod mini is now available in three new colors: blue, orange, and yellow, as announced at Apple's MacBook Pro presentation in 2021. These hues join the black and white options that were introduced with the mini's launch. The original HomePod didn't have any color options, so if you're bored of the same old dull aesthetic, the HomePod mini is a terrific way to brighten up your space.
The yellow and blue colors are my favorites after trying out all three new color selections. The orange HomePod mini doesn't appeal to me, and I would much rather have red than orange. Like the original white HomePod mini, all three new color variants have white touch surfaces.
Price
While Apple later reduced the price of the original HomePod by $50 (before discontinuing it entirely), the speaker was initially priced at a whopping $350. It was a tall order for a smart speaker that didn't have quite as many features as it has now. As a result, the original HomePod struggled to get off the ground, and it appears that it never sold out of its initial supply, as launch devices were still available years later. The HomePod mini, with its affordable price of $99, does not have such a barrier to entry.
Sound quality
There's no getting around the reality that the HomePod mini doesn't sound as fantastic as the original HomePod. Two HomePod minis in a stereo pair sound significantly better than a single HomePod mini, but I still like the sound of a single giant HomePod, especially when listening to songs with a lot of low-end. It's not even close to two full-size HomePods in a stereo pair, especially when it comes to low frequencies.
HomePod mini sounds nice for its size, even if it isn't a true HomePod substitute for audiophiles. It's built to emit 360-degree audio, filling a room with music regardless of where it's set, and the built-in Apple S5 chip enables computational audio to improve sound quality even further.
Place it anywhere and everywhere
While not massive, the original HomePod is much larger and heavier than the HomePod mini. Because of the mini's compact size, it can be readily placed in places where the original HomePod wouldn't fit. Aside from the price, the HomePod mini's svelte design is undoubtedly its most appealing feature. It's considerably better than the larger HomePod for high-traffic places like the kitchen because it's reasonably inexpensive and small.
Apple TV companion
The best Apple TV 4K partner is a pair of HomePod mini speakers. A stereo pair of HomePod mini smart speakers, like its larger brethren, may be utilized as the Apple TV's default sound output.
For several months, I've been using my two original HomePod tiny speakers with my Apple TV, and I'm enjoying it. It isn't surround sound, so it can't compete with dedicated home theater systems in that regard, but it is a good-sounding option that works well for movies, games, and Apple Music.
The fact that there are no cords required outside of the power hookups is what I like best about using the HomePod mini as a dedicated Apple TV speaker. A pair of HomePod minis creates an ultra-clean speaker arrangement that sounds miles better than your television's standard speakers.
Siri
One of the best features of the HomePod mini is that it has four microphones to help with noise cancellation. This allows users to utilize the "Hey Siri" keyword even if they are far away from the speaker or in a loud environment.
Siri still irritates me from time to time with its illogical responses, long wait periods, and occasional stupidity, but there's no disputing that the experience has improved significantly since the HomePod was initially released.
The lack of functionality for multiple timers was one of the most noticeable omissions from the first HomePod launch. Apple, of course, has now corrected the problem and continues to improve the experience. Users can now use an Intercom function to connect with other members of their home, and personal requests have been updated to recognize up to six family members' voices.
Here are just some of the enhancements that are available on HomePod mini today:
Multiple timer support
Intercom to communicate with other household members
Music handoff
Personalized listening suggestions
Multi-user support
Apple TV default speaker
Software Update
The Apple S5 system on a chip powers the HomePod, which runs iOS software and can receive over-the-air software updates like any other Apple product. Apple has already added a number of new functions to the HomePod mini that weren't available when it first launched, and it will continue to do so in the future.
One of the most serious problems with a "always listening" smart speaker is privacy. First and foremost, before listening to your requests, HomePod mini only listens for the "Hey Siri" keyword. You can even disable the keyword entirely and activate Siri manually with a physical touch.
When you ask Siri to perform something, you don't have to provide an email address or a user ID. Apple, on the other hand, associates your requests with random IDs. And some requests, such as playing back messages, are handled locally on your iPhone, meaning no information is sent to Apple.
HomeKit control & Thread support
The ability to control your HomeKit devices is one of the most compelling reasons to have a HomePod. You can control all of your HomeKit-enabled smart home devices, including door locks, lights, thermostats, TVs, and more, with only your voice.
Better still, the HomePod mini, like the Apple TV and the regular HomePod, functions as a HomeKit hub. You can use a HomeKit hub to operate your smart home devices even when you're not at home. While I'm away, I use this feature frequently to check the status of my door locks, adjust the thermostat, and monitor the cameras.
The HomePod mini, unlike the original HomePod, supports the Thread network protocol. Thread is administered by the Thread Group, a conglomerate of businesses that includes Apple. The HomePod mini, Apple's first Thread-enabled product, can connect with other Thread-enabled devices including smart lighting, locks, sensors, and more.
When using Siri to operate Thread-enabled smart home gadgets, Thread support implies faster response times, fewer unsuccessful requests, and less delays. It's essentially a method of improving the reliability of operating smart home gadgets. The connection between Nanoleaf's Thread-enabled Essentials lights and I was rock stable and responsive.
Upcoming Apple Music voice plan
Even if you don't already have an Apple Music subscription, Apple recently unveiled a new voice-only Apple Music plan that's probably best for the HomePod mini. The new $4.99/month ad-free Apple Music Voice Plan is designed to play songs, playlists, radio stations, and more using Siri instructions. The disadvantage of this strategy is that there is no visual user interface, and all music, playlists, and radio stations must be requested through Siri alone.
Conclusion
Although I’m sad that Apple nixed the original HomePod, with its much better sound quality, I can understand why such a product proved to be a hard sell with its higher price, and less overall flexibility.
