Apple 2nd generation HomePod It will arrive at customers this Friday and go on sale in stores. In advance, the first reviews of Smart His speakers have been shared in some media publications and on our YouTube channel.
Priced at $299, it has nearly the same design as the full-size HomePod, which Apple discontinued in March 2021, but with two fewer tweeters and two less microphones. The Siri-powered speaker also features a 4-inch high-excursion woofer, his S7 chip for computational audio, and his U1 chip for transferring music from your iPhone. The speaker supports his Spatial Audio with smart home accessories Matter and Dolby Atmos.
HomePod’s new sensors can measure the temperature and humidity of your indoor environment. This feature was also valid on the existing HomePod mini. Recent software updates. Speech Recognition Coming to the new HomePod This spring’s software update will allow the speaker to listen for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send a notification to the user’s iPhone if the sound is identified.
The new HomePod is Pre-order at Apple’s online store, white and midnight color options are available. The United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and 11 other countries and regions will begin in-store sales and delivery to customers on Friday, February 3rd.
written review
The BargeChris Welch Sound quality is very similar to the original HomePod.
Even after several days of listening to the new HomePod (both solo and in stereo pair), I think its sound signature remains true to the original HomePod. If you’re a fan of that speaker, you’ll be happy with the second-generation version. The new HomePod may pull the guitar solo out slightly more than the original.
wall street journalNicole Nguyen of It also says the new HomePod will sound the same as the original.
The updated HomePod looks a lot like its discontinued predecessor, and sounds similar. I tested the new HomePods as a single unit, grouped as a stereo pair, and tested in a room of about 370 square feet. For most tracks, just keeping the volume at 30% was enough to fill the space.
Looking at spec sheets comparing the old and new HomePods can be a headache. The newer ones have faster processors, fewer built-in microphones and speakers, and support for older Wi-Fi standards. But personally, the new HomePod sounds and performs just like the original.
pocket lintBritta O’Boyle I was also impressed with the sound quality of the new HomePod.
As for the hardware, there are five tweeters, a “high excursion woofer” capable of moving an impressive 20 mm, and four microphone arrays. This is a slightly different setup than his original HomePod, which for starters he had seven tweeters, but the performance is just as good. Without a doubt, the HomePod (2nd Gen) sounds great.
In the midrange, you get detailed, crisp, and crystal-clear vocals, but in the low end, the HomePod packs plenty of bass. The bass isn’t as strong as the Sonos Five, which is a big, expensive speaker. And when playing tracks like Skrillex’s Rumble, the HomePod is probably a little more muffled in the mids than the Five, but it’s still very impressive overall. Anyway, it’s a pretty tricky track to keep up with. You can reduce the bass in the Home app, but this isn’t necessary.
EngadgetBilly Steele of Siri had some flaws when the original HomePod was released in 2018, but voice assistants have improved over the years. He also said that his two fewer microphones on his new HomePod compared to the original didn’t affect Siri’s ability to detect his voice, even in noisy rooms.
When we reviewed the original HomePod in 2018, one of our biggest complaints was its limited Siri capabilities. Sure, the speakers sounded good, but the lack of polish to the voice assistant made it seem like a work in progress.Apple has done a lot to improve Siri over the past five years. Many of the original issues have been fixed since it has been updated.
First, like Siri on the iPhone, HomePod can recognize multiple users. With Personal Requests, you can peek at your calendar, notes, reminders, messages, Find My, and more at the time of your request. Plus, HomePod can give each family member (up to six) a unique response from a specific her iPhone app. Plus, Siri can create regular home automations without having to pick up your phone and swipe to the right app.
Even with less mics to pick up your voice, the new HomePod doesn’t suffer from a performance hit.It can pick up your voice even in noisy rooms.
mobile syrupDean Daly of I’m impressed with the new HomePod’s Spatial Audio.
A great song to test spatial audio is also one of my favorite karaoke tracks, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. It sounds decent at first, but after the “I can see the little silhouette of a man” section of the song, the 2nd Gen HomePod takes full advantage of Dolby Atmos surround sound and spatial audio, making full use of harmony and spatial audio to make it sound like nothing at all. Take it to another level. A melody that creates a grand concert in an entertainment space. This is definitely my favorite song I’ve tested and shown to some friends.
streetJacob Kroll of I touched the large backlit touch surface of the new HomePod.
The most significant design change is at the top and has to do with the screen. It’s not really showing any new information, and his dream of a HomePod with a true display doesn’t stop there, but it does have a bigger top surface. By tapping to play or pause among other controls, it gives you another control that glows brighter and bigger in different colors.
Rather than showing a volume control after touch like the original HomePod, “+” and “-” are etched into this backlit touch surface, making it easier to adjust the volume on the fly. When you’re playing music, the top of HomePod lights up in a color similar to the album artwork you’re listening to, and when communicating with Siri, it lights up in all the colors you’d expect.
TechCrunchBrian Heater of Audio handoff tested on the new HomePod:
Start a song in Apple Music on your iPhone, hold it near your HomePod, and it starts playing with a satisfying tactile fist bump. You can get it back by moving the phone closer to the speaker again. i really like this feature. This is a great example of how well the hardware can work together if you make your own device, software and chip. It’s also surprisingly easy to get. In fact, I found myself having to disable my HomePods while they were on my desk. Otherwise, you’ll accidentally disable it while using your iPhone two feet from the speaker.
