To share
Reviews, notes and technical specifications of the product.
The arrival of the Apple HomePod on the market in 2018 marked a before and after in the industry of the sector of the smart speakers. There are many tech brands that look at the company with the bitten apple logo when developing their products and launching the HomePod it creates fierce and irremediable competition that greatly enriches the size of the market and its consequent value to consumers.
But all has not been rosy for the HomePod. Since its official launch, it wasn’t the best smart speaker on the market. Its hefty price tag and the mere existence of Amazon Echo smart speakers and Google alternatives – which have already been in the industry for years – have made things very difficult for Apple’s HomePod. But suddenly, Apple found the solution: to market a HomePod mini with all the best of the original speaker and a much more relaxed price.
The HomePod mini it managed to become one of the best smart speakers in the business. some ideal dimensions to enjoy your Versatility in any corner of the house, it is available in a wide variety of colors and the most important thing for any Apple user is that it has full compatibility, synchronization and integration in the ecosystem
HomePod mini: technical specifications, features and price
Before we start unraveling the convoluted thread that covers the uncertainty of whether or not it’s worth buying a HomePod mini, we’ll briefly analyze what the main features and technical specifications
HomePod | HomePod mini | |
---|---|---|
Dimensions | 14.20 x 17.20cm | 9.79 x 8.43cm |
lester | 2.5kg | 345g |
Colors | Space Grey, White | White, yellow, orange, blue, space gray |
connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and AirPlay 2 | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11n, AirPlay 2 years |
sound technology | Long-excursion woofer with custom amplifier, a seven-speaker array with custom amplifier, beamforming, and computer audio | Wideband transducer and two passive radiators, acoustic waveguide, multi-zone sound and computer audio |
Microphone | 6 microphones and internal microphone | 4 microphones |
Processor | Apple A8 | S5 chip |
touch controls | Yes | Yes |
Siri | Yes | Yes |
Price | 349 dollars | 99 dollars |
Despite so many differences in terms of dimensions and weight – in addition to their price for obvious reasons – the two Apple HomePod models share many similarities. Both offer the same audio playback services via Apple Music, iTunes, iCloud, AirPlay 2, Podcasts and more.
The main difference is in its sound technology. While the original HomePod had a subwoofer and tech beamforming (improved signal-to-noise ratio), Apple had to replace these features by a broadband transducer and passive radiators due to the small dimensions of the HomePod mini.
On the other hand, the signature of the bitten apple logo also had to remove some microphones in the mini version of the HomePod. The original model has 6 microphones and the HomePod mini has 4 microphones. However, this is barely noticeable in the user experience.
Given the abysmal difference in price of the HomePod (349 dollars) and the HomePod mini (99 dollars) we can say without fear of being wrong that the mini version is a more than recommended alternative in a market full of great products, especially for all users in the Apple ecosystem and knowing that the original version of the HomePod is no longer officially available.
In short… is it worth buying a HomePod mini?
Obviously, the HomePod mini has a much lower audio quality than its big brother. But it is a very valid smart speaker that offers very high sound quality and perfectly noticeable from any corner of the house. It should be noted that the sound volume range is very high and in this sense you will not encounter any problems.
On the other hand, it should also be noted that the design of the HomePod mini is visually very attractive and its dimensions They will allow you to place the speaker in the ideal place to take full advantage of its features. Whether on your bedside table, on the kitchen counter, on a shelf or on a desk next to the computer.
It’s definitely worth getting a HomePod mini these days. If you are looking for a speaker with a good sound quality and an full integration with audio streaming services and all your devices, we highly recommend the Apple HomePod mini.
The only downside to buying a HomePod mini is Apple’s platform services. For example, it is almost Must have an Apple Music subscription to take full advantage of this little device. So if you don’t have a subscription or aren’t planning on subscribing, you should think twice before buying a HomePod mini.
Beyond this small inconvenience, the user experience offered by Apple’s HomePod mini is absolutely fantastic. It is a small device with a unbeatable design which will allow you to enjoy benefits as prodigious as consulting cooking recipes, playing your favorite songs in a few seconds or controlling the operation of your home automation accessories with voice commands.
And what about the future? Should consumers wait for the eventual launch of a new HomePod? Well, that’s a very interesting question because there are rumors suggesting that Apple is going to introduce a new HomePod in late 2022 or early 2023. If you’re planning on getting a HomePod and want it to have the technology the most advanced at the moment regardless of the economic cost, you might have to wait a few months.
However, experts believe that the new HomePod will not have excessive innovation in hardware design as “Apple is still figuring out how to succeed” in the smart speaker industry. It is true that we have occasionally seen the concept of a mini HomePod circulating on the network with a touch control screen which would considerably improve the functionality of the product. But it is still early to predict its characteristics.
Related Topics: Purchases
To share
Sign up for Disney+ for 8.99 dollars and without permanence