Everything You Need to Know About the HomePod Mini

Had been we shocked that Apple introduced a HomePod Mini immediately? Completely not. The stream of leaks suggesting Apple had deliberate a HomePod refresh has been regular and robust—hell we even had a last-minute leak this morning. And as suspected, the HomePod Mini made its official debut at immediately’s iPhone occasion—and it’s solely $100.

That $100 price ticket is a reasonably large deal. Google’s Nest Audio speaker, which was introduced only a couple weeks in the past, can be $100. So no, whereas the HomePod Mini will not be as low cost as a $50 Nest Mini or an Echo Dot, it’s far more competitively priced than the OG HomePod.

The HomePod Mini for starters is a cute, little spherical boy. From what we might inform from the occasion, it doesn’t have fairly as many drivers as the unique HomePod, however Apple is promising that it’s nonetheless received “unimaginable sound for the dimensions.” The mini can be doubtless spherical as a result of compressing the dimensions meant needing to get a bit of inventive with the acoustics—one thing Apple is looking computational audio.

Beneath the hood, it’s additionally powered by the S5 chip—the identical because the Apple Watch SE and the Collection 5—as a substitute of the A8 chip. There’s one other backlit contact floor, and sure, we’re retaining the material cowl too. Like Sonos audio system, the HomePod Minis will play properly with others. Two audio system in the identical room will routinely transmit in stereo, as an example.

One of many extra fascinating inclusions with the HomePod Mini is the U1 chip, which provides Extremely Wideband capabilities. This chip isn’t in each Apple product—it was ignored of this yr’s iPad Professional and the Watch SE, although Apple did embody it within the Collection 6. However immediately, that U1 chip makes a bit extra sense because the HomePod Mini (and the brand new Apple TV) can now act as extremely wideband hubs. Which means the HomePod mini will have the ability to extra exactly observe your location, as long as you might have one other gadget with a U1 chip. It additionally beefs up the HomePod mini’s capabilities for the sensible house, because it routinely works with the Residence app. That features devices like sensible thermostats and setting scenes. This isn’t new, although Apple did emphasize there’ll be a neater manner of discovering units. Should you carry your telephone near the HomePod Mini, you’ll additionally get some haptics and visible results.

To this point, the {hardware} updates to the HomePod Mini and the decreased value are fairly compelling. Nonetheless, as properly all know, hi-fi audio is just one a part of the equation with sensible audio system. There’s no simple manner of placing this, however Siri is a goddamn trash bag of a digital assistant—and Siri was even worse on the HomePod itself. This time round although, Apple is promising some upgrades for the world’s worst digital assistant. On the occasion, Apple mentioned the HomePod Mini will work together higher together with your iPhone, and due to this fact get higher updates through requests like, “Hey Siri, what’s my private replace?” Apple additionally says that Siri can acknowledge the person voices of your housemates—hopefully, in order that she by no means once more asks somebody “Who dis?” There’ll even be higher integrations with CarPlay. Likewise, the HomePod Mini can work as an intercom. Alexa units can already do that, however the profit right here is that it’ll additionally work with different units together with your AirPods, iPhones, and Apple Watches. In fact, it regarded spectacular on stage however seeing as this was a digital occasion, we’ll have to attend till we have now a HomePod mini in our arms to try it out for ourselves. That mentioned, lots of the updates felt like Apple catching as much as different digital assistants reasonably than pushing the house ahead.

Good audio system all the time give individuals the heebie jeebies with privateness. Apple says private requests will solely work when your iPhone is house with you and that every little thing is encrypted.

It’s clear that regardless of a meh response to the unique HomePod, Apple’s not giving up on the entire sensible house and sensible speaker class. Nonetheless, there are some things that also would possibly get in the way in which of that. For starters, there’s no Spotify, regardless that you may get some providers like Pandora, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio. And whereas the slick handoff options look cool, will it Bluetooth? We’ll must see. 

Once more, we’ll must attempt it out for ourselves earlier than we are able to hand down a verdict. That mentioned, if Siri doesn’t deter you, then the HomePod Mini might be out there in white and grey. Preorders begin November 6, and can ship the week of November 16.