The HomePod was discontinuedafter just three year on the market , but Apple is n’t return up on its sassy speaker ambitions . Released in 2020 alongside theiPhone 12 , the HomePod miniskirt was meant to be a smaller alternative to Apple ’s luxuriously - price , high - fidelity speaker , but now it ’s the only game in town . And if you want to set up a Siri - found fresh home plate , it ’s of the essence .
The latest news and rumors
An Augustreportby Mark Gurman of Bloomberg country that Apple is work on a few new wise gadget , but he did not say anything in regards to the HomePod mini . Apple may be release a new full - sized HomePod for 2023 , as well as a speaker with an iPad - like video display and an Apple TV with a tv camera , both for 2024 .
Read all the hearsay about theHomePod with a CRT screen , that could meld an Apple TV and iPad in a separate article .
Size and design
The HomePod mini still has the mesh grill exterior available in space gray or snowy , but it has an entirely dissimilar shape than the HomePod . It ’s a orbit rather than a cylinder , and its feel is jolly redolent of themesh - protected applesyou might find at the supermarket and is n’t much bigger . The HomePod mini measures 3.3 inches tall , less than half the altitude of the HomePod , but it feels even small than that in mortal . The entire top is a show , but it ’s in the main for Siri and condition lights and can be unvoiced to see from across the room . Like the original HomePod , the mini ’s cord is permanently sequester and pretty inflexible , but no matter where you put your HomePod mini , it ’s sure enough a statement composition .
Speakers and microphones
While it might await little and unpowered , the HomePod mini is actually just as equal to as the larger model , while its size means that it has fewer speaker unit and microphones than the larger framework . As Apple trace , the HomePod miniskirt has a “ full - range driver , powered by a atomic number 60 magnet and a pair of force - canceling passive radiators , ” but its speech sound is n’t nearly as mysterious as the larger HomePod . It ’s particularly lacking in bass , which was the original HomePod ’s unassailable case , but the mini is still plenty powerful enough to occupy a room with sound , especially if you piece up a pair of them and set them up as stereo speaker on an iOS gimmick or Apple TV .
Since the HomePod mini is a Siri gadget , it has three microphones that are always listen for representative prompt , as well as an internal mic to aid isolate the speaker ’s sound so it can hear the “ Hey Siri ” command even while make for medicine . Apple habituate the S5 chip to process the phone , the same central processing unit in theApple Watch SE .
Like the HomePod , the HomePod mini plays 360 - degree audio .
Even with a pair of speakers , however , the HomePod mini does n’t support Dolby Atmos , Dolby Digital 7.1 , or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround speech sound like the larger HomePod .
Apple Music and other streaming services
The HomePod mini greatest long suit is playing music , and if you ’re an Apple Music endorser , it ’s an excellent companion . It also works well with the Apple Podcasts app , and radio station from iHeartRadio , Radio.com , and TuneIn . During the HomePod mini announcement , Apple teased support for third - party medicine services , but so far only Pandora is substantiate . The Google Home and Amazon Echo both support Amazon Music and Spotify , so it stands to reason that more service are on the way .
Siri
Like the full - sized HomePod , HomePod mini rely on Siri as its main user interface , using voice commands to play medicine and podcasts , command smart family devices , and answer general knowledge questions . you could also use Siri for personal update , such as asking about your docket , the atmospheric condition , traffic , and reminder as well as any Siri Shortcuts made on your iPhone or iPad .
If you plug HomePod in with a office adapter that is n’t 20W or high , it ’ll get angry .
Michael Simon / IDG
Apple continues to protect your secrecy while using Siri . Siri requests are sent to Apple ’s servers only when Siri is activated , and those requests are not associated with your Apple ID . Apple also says it does not sell your personal information to third parties . It does , however , store some anon. audio recordings to better the truth of Siri , but you’re able to opt - out in the Privacy tab in stage setting on your iPhone . you could also delete your full Siri account in the same tab .
Home hub
Apple lets you place up a gadget as a home hub to hold HomeKit gadget remotely from a key location , and the HomePod miniskirt is the most economical of the option . And the beauty of it is you do n’t actually have to do anything to set it up . Once you sign into your iCloud business relationship , your HomePod miniskirt will automatically set up as a home base hub so anything you add to the Home app will be able to be hold in when you ’re not around . You ’ll also be capable to make fit and mechanisation based on time or location that do things like turn on the brightness level when you get home or shut them off with a simple command .
Your HomePod mini is a minor but muscular hub for your Apple smart home .
Intercom
In addition to play music and summoning Siri , HomePod has a nifty Intercom lineament that lets yousend and receive messagesfrom one HomePod mini to another , or an iPhone , iPad , iPod touch , Apple Watch , and CarPlay - connected car . When you inquire Siri to “ Intercom ” or “ ask everyone , ” it will display an qui vive on all uncommitted gadget with Intercom turn on and provide an audio recording that can be play . strangely , the Mac is n’t part of the Intercom feature .
An Intercom substance is sent to other HomePod minis , as well as your devices .
U1 Ultra-wideband chip
The HomePod miniskirt has Apple ’s U1 chip , which provides the machine with ultra - broadband , a radio communicating technology that uses very little power , works in a short stove and has a high bandwidth . The U1 allow for some nerveless iPhone trick as well . you could “ hand off ” music playback from your iPhone to the new HomePod , as well as receive pop music - up medium controls without experience to unlock your iPhone. you could also get personalized listening hypnotism as well as visual , audible , and tactual effects when transfer sound between devices .
But Apple in all probability has much large program for the U1 fleck . It could create an API that lets smart twist makers tapdance into the U1 chip and make automations and interactions that do n’t need an app to be instal . Or it could tap into Siri Shortcuts to generate room - based response and action from HomeKit gimmick without calling on Siri to dissemble . There are lots that Apple can do with the HomePod mini ’s U1 Saratoga chip , so we ’ll have to wait and see what arrives in future updates .
With its U1 funding , you’re able to hand off audio from your iPhone to the HomePod miniskirt .
However , to use these features , you ’ll need machine that are equipped with the U1 , according to Apple ’s HomePod miniskirt internet site . That means you necessitate an iPhone 11 or after . Older iPhones wo n’t be able-bodied to perform these feature .
Apple
Price, availability, and device compatibility
The HomePod mini is $ 99 USD , and is uncommitted in space gray , white , patrician , chicken , and orangish .
HomePod mini is compatible with the following devices :
Conclusion
If you ’re looking to set up an Apple smart dwelling house , there are three option for a hub — an iPad , Apple TV , and HomePod mini . At $ 99 , the HomePod mini is the most economical of the bunch and it ’s a smart speaker unit , so you’re able to ask it to do activity and subroutine just like an Amazon Echo gimmick . HomeKit machine are becoming trashy and more prevalent , so setting up an Apple wise home base is easygoing than ever especially with a HomePod mini to control it all . It does n’t sound as beneficial as the original HomePod , but it ’s still good than an Echo Dot , and for $ 99 , it ’s a must - have gadget .
See : HomePod vs HomePod minito see how the two models compare .
HomePod mini
