The new HomePod not only brings better sound, but also more smart home features. (Image: Apple)
After Apple discontinued the first Homepod almost two years ago, it is now surprisingly returning in a second version.
At that time it was still said that only remaining stocks would be sold and that the HomePod would be replaced by the smaller version, the HomePod Mini. Now the big HomePod is making a comeback, and on board are new features for smart home connectivity and powerful sound that can be intelligently adjusted.
The innovations are all under the hood
At first glance, the new HomePod is indistinguishable from the old. It looks the same on the outside as the old model, all the innovations are on the inside. However, one can hope that the new HomePod uses a different material for the base of the device, since the old one caused some dirt on wooden furniture. You can read more about it here:
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Apple Homepod – rings on wooden furniture due to lack of quality checks
The high-excursion woofer is located in the upper half, which is supposed to provide rich bass. There is also a bass EQ microphone that dynamically optimizes the low frequencies. This should ensure that basses do not sound flat or have an annoying hum. Such a microphone was also used in the first HomePod.
There are five tweeters in the lower half, which are responsible for the higher frequencies. Seven of these were installed in the old HomePod, but Apple assures us that the new HomePod sounds better. The new tweeters support so-called beamforming and should radiate the sound into the room in such a way that a spatial sound is created.
The smart Siri speaker also recognizes where it is in the room and optimizes the 3D audio accordingly. This is made possible by microphones that record sound reflections and the S7 chip that is also built into the current Apple Watch.
Although the new HomePod has fewer drivers, Apple promises improved sound. (Image: Apple)
In addition, the new HomePod comes with functions for your smart home. It is compatible with the Matter smart home wireless standard and has a built-in temperature and humidity meter. It is used, for example, to automatically close the blinds as soon as a certain temperature is reached.
In addition, the new HomePod will recognize warning sounds that indicate excessive smoke and carbon monoxide levels and then send a notification to your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. However, the function should only be delivered with a later update.
The new HomePod will be available in two colors. (Image: Apple)
Price and release date of the new HomePods
At 350 dollars, the price of the first HomePod was not exactly low. But the competition was not cheaper then either. Google’s Home Max speaker, for example, cost 400 dollars when it was released. Apparently, Apple doesn’t believe that this high price was the reason for the lack of success of the HomePod. Because the new HomePod is included 350 Euro not really cheaper.
This makes it around 250 dollars more expensive than the HomePod Mini that has already been released. If the little brother is more in your price range, you will find a cheap offer here.
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If you still have money left after that, you can also buy two of the HomePods and connect them to stereo speakers. However, this only works with HomePods of the same generation. A seamless connection to the Apple TV 4K, as well as to other Apple devices is also possible. The new HomePod will be released on February 3rd.
If you are looking for a cheap smart speaker, you should take a look at the Echo devices from Amazon. You can read here how to set up Alexa on you:
Setting up Alexa: First steps with Amazon Echo Dot and Co.
Are you interested in the new HomePod and do you think it can be successful this time? Tell us what you think about it in the comments!
