Apple has updated its home audio line with the launch of the new HomePod car. It’s actually a lot cheaper than the original HomePod, but what else should it offer you compared to its huge solidmate? Let’s take a look at how the HomePod and HomePod mini come together to find out how they differ.
Price
When the HomePod was first released in 2018, it had a very high price. Over time it has dropped to € 329, but it is still an expensive purchase for many and many.
One of the biggest selling points of a small HomePod mini is that it can be purchased for € 99, much more than the Google Nest Mini and Amazon Echo Dot (fourth generation) models that cost € 49.99 and will compete directly with them. .
Design and features
The HomePod and HomePod mini share many similar features, but there are obvious obvious differences in design and functionality. Here’s what you need to know.
Size and weight
The HomePod is the largest of the two, measuring 172mm (height) x 142mm (width) and weight 2.5kg compared to 84.3mm (height) x 97.9mm (width) and 345g of HomePod. HomePod mini.
Speakers and sound
This additional limit is to include an impressive list of speakers, consisting of seven tweeters horn no woofer high travel with amp amp. Apple also includes low frequency measuring microphones that allow the HomePod to monitor and adjust low frequency response.
The HomePod mini chassis can’t accommodate all of this sound, but it offers what Apple calls a “full-distance driver and two idle radiators.” We’re sure you won’t burn your home with a HomePod mini, but if the audio quality of the HomePod model is something to consider, the new model should be able to add a few songs to the tracks it plays.
They both use monitoring software to adjust the output of your output to fit your room, but only the HomePod has provided bass frequency measurement, probably because woofer will produce a large amount of bass.
The HomePod also has the ability to deliver Dolby Atmos audio from Apple TV 4K, or Apple recommends using two of them to get better results. Day cannot be the same as this level of performance, so if Atmos is important to you, HomePod is the way to go.
Microphone and Siri
Since they are smart speakers, they need to hear your commands, even if the music is loud. Apple helps you with this by installing a set of six microphones on the HomePod and four on the Mini.
Siri is your favorite voice assistant (actually the only person you can use), and on any device it allows you to set reminders, control music play, read and reply to messages, or ask and get answers to questions.
One of the coolest features is the ability to create automated routes that control devices compatible with HomeKit. So, for example, if you say “Sleep well,” the HomePod can turn off smart lights, turn off the heat, and even close the curtains.
Sadly, it can’t sleep right now, but Apple may be working on a fix.
Siri is able to distinguish between six words, so each family member can use the HomePod or HomePod mini and have all the instructions related to their Apple accounts.
If the voice is not your thing, then there are more control areas than any other model, so you can quickly change the volume, skip tracks, or pause to play.
Pairs of multiple rooms and noise
If you have multiple HomePods and Minis or a combination of both, you can set up a local network with AirPlay 2, which means you can stream your music or podcasts to multiple rooms at once, so you don’t miss anything while traveling.
There is also an option to order speakers to play a variety of items in each room, so you can enjoy AC / DC in the kitchen while the kids listen to Disney songs in their bedroom.
Another reason to have more HomePods at home is the new Intercom capability that allows you to send messages back and forth through speakers. This can be very helpful in letting everyone know that dinner is ready or that you are too lazy to go down on the sofa and open the door. The future today.
Both of these devices also offer the ability to make a stereo pairing sound when you have two of them, though you can’t mix and match them as the feature currently works on models of the same type.
Music streaming
Since both devices use AirPlay 2, this means that neither of them can be used as standard Bluetooth speakers, which is still very disappointing, especially as they both have Bluetooth 5.0 capabilities.
So if you have an Android phone, you won’t have the luck to try connecting to a HomePod or mini. However, they are compatible with iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, so you can stream content directly from those devices.
However, you can stream to the HomePod without a WiFi network. Read: How to use HomePod without Wi-Fi.
Thanks to software updates, the HomePod or HomePod mini is compatible with a variety of music streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, and more.
The decision
As you can see, most of the skills in terms of services and features are shared on both devices. They will respond to voice commands with Siri, stream music from a variety of services, and collaborate happily (unless you want to create a stereo pair).
Therefore the main consideration is sound quality and price. If you want the smartest speaker available today, the HomePod is, the audio is still clean and due to its low frequency rating it always sounds great wherever you are.
However, if you are happy with decent audio quality and do not want to spend $ 300, then a small HomePod under $ 99 has the right features.
The fact that you can buy two, use them as a stereo pair, and have a lot of flexibility in what you can use in a larger model makes it a very sensible choice.
specs
Apple HomePod mini: Details
- 84.3mm (H) x 97.9mm (W)
- 345g
- Full-distance driver and two radiators,
- Design of four Siri remote remote microphones
- Multi-room audio with AirPlay 2
- Stereo Pair Power
- Wifi 802.11n
- Direct Visitor Access4
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Ultra-wideband chip for device proximity
- Siri control
- Touch control panel
Apple HomePod: Details
- Audio Sources: Apple Music, iTunes Music Purchases, iCloud Music Library with Apple Music / iTunes Match Subscription, Beats 1, Podcasts, AirPlay
- Dimensions: 172mm height, 142mm wide
- Weight: 2.5 kg.
- Audio types: HE-AAC, AAC speeds 320Kbps, AAC protocol, MP3 speeds 320Kbps, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, FLAC
- Wireless: 802.11ac wifi with MIMO
- Bluetooth 5.0 (cannot be used as a Bluetooth speaker)
- Compatible: iPhone 5s rear, iPad Air rear, iPad mini 2 rear iOS 11.2.5
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