Apple Announced the HomePod Mini Four Years Ago Today

[SBlue1]

Still doesn’t work properly, have so many issues with mine unfortunately

Siri is just dumb as batsh…. Instead of just saying hey Siri, turn up the heating for 10 minutes, I have to say hey Siri, turn on the heating, hey Siri set a timer for 10 minute, hey Siri, stop the timer, hey Siri turn off the heating. What the hell!

 

[Realityck]

I like mine but Siri is still so dumb, an updated version with Apple Intelligence and a Siri that actually works is much needed.

related

Apple Has a New Smart Home Strategy: Screens Everywhere

Apple is finally preparing to compete for the smart home market after falling behind Amazon and Google. Also: The Vision Pro team ponders its next steps; Apple Intelligence approaches; the next MacBook Pro shows up early in Russia; and two top executives are retiring.

www.bloomberg.com

Over the next two years, I expect home hardware to be a top priority for Apple. The push will include developing a new homeOS operating system and smart display, as well as a higher-end robotic tabletop device.

The renewed effort follows years of mediocre performance in this category, with Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google taking the lead. One reason Apple has struggled is its focus on making premium products that work in a closed ecosystem. That hasn’t been an effective strategy in the smart home, where consumers want equipment that can work with a wide range of other products.

That means Apple has an opening. One of the first big steps will be releasing a new smart display — something people can use to play TV+ streaming content, do FaceTime calls, surf the web, and access apps like Calendar and Notes. It would be an affordable iPad-like screen, and consumers could place multiple units around the house, like they might with a HomePod mini.

The real question here is that Apple needs to come up with something akin to a smarter HomePod, but how does that fare against the iPhone line, iPad line and Mac line which the upcoming M4 Mac mini is part of. Also note that homeOS needs to be akin to MacOS in that its an open OS so its compatible with as many products as possible? Not be relying on only the Apple ecosystem. So it's possible the HomePods future could be exciting if everything goes well.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Looks like I'm not the only one. They're a great stereo pair for a TV, but I turned Siri off. Especially now that Siri is noticeably faster and better on my phone, it seems to have actually gotten worse on the HomePods.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

shocking really considering they're ⅓ the price and ¼ the size of the regular HomePods

Anyone should take this same idea the other way too: "what if I budgeted 2X or 3X (or more) regular HomePods: how much BETTER could my audio sound?"

There's a whole world of companies out there that are purely focused on producing fantastic-sounding speakers... not distracted by phones... and tablets... and computers.

Bonuses: if one would buy "dumb" speakers instead, they can:

• Buy much better quality of sound
• Set up true home theater audio- true surround and/or true ATMOS vs. faux ATMOS/surround options. Your ears can absolutely tell if sound supposed to be coming from all around you is only coming from in front of you.
• Occasionally (meaning maybe every 10 years or so) replace the "brains" (usually an AV Receiver) without having to toss the speaker portions too.
• If one is happy with Siri as brains, use Siri in the phone/tablet/Mac you already own... or through an AppleTV. It doesn't HAVE to be built into the speakers themselves- you already have it in everything else from Apple.
• If one likes to Airplay, the brains in that AV Receiver almost always support Airplay. Just be sure you choose one with it. Most have it.

Unlike stuff from Apple that we will fall all over ourselves to "be first" to spend THOUSANDS to buy, only to sense "long in tooth" in a few years and thus spend THOUSANDS again... and then again... great "dumb" speakers can last up to a lifetime. One or two Apple product-type budget allocations and you can enjoy great speakers for decades-to-life.

I know "we" love to buy Apple and only Apple... but there isn't even a rumor Apple is interested in true home theater setups... but there are abundant other choices already long-since there. All one has to do is "think different" and spend accordingly.

If you already own some HPs, they can easily move to other rooms to provide good sound in rooms where you might want to listen to some music. But in your main room(s), there are many opportunities to significantly upgrade the quality of sound... if you want it.

Doubts? Head to professional theaters, like your local cinema. Get there early while the lights are still up. Take a good look around in search of speakers. You will find none leaning on either 2 HPs or ANY soundbar down front. Instead, you'll see speakers positioned all around the theater. If it's an ATMOS theater, you'll also see speakers up above you. Why would cinemas spend all that money and go to some extra trouble of getting them all in their ideal spots if a couple of HPs or a Soundbar down front is just as good? They wouldn't. So why do they ALL do that? The answer to that question leads the way to the core concept in this post.

Again, "think different!"

 

[macduke]

It’s fine. I hate how it picks up a whisper across multiple rooms when I’m trying to talk to my iPhone right next to me, and it yells at me about how I need to use my iPhone instead.

 

[Reason077]

Does the HomePod line still refuse/fail to play well with Spotify, or is that resolved now? Can you set Spotify as your default service for music?

Very happy with my Sonos speakers, but can’t deny that the HomePod Mini is a sexy looking device…

 

[justmadeupname]

I bought 2 off eBay about 6 months ago and use in use a stereo pair in my study on the top floor.

Having stable internet is key.

Initially not very good kept cutting out and volume was slow to respond from my magic keyboard requests. But since I added a TP-Link Deco M4 Mesh on the top floor, then its been mostly very good with the odd cut outs.

Also, key for me, was adding a a pair of these stands.

The stands elevated the sound a good 35% - the bass is now a lot more controlled and in turn everything in turn benefits. A bit pricy for two but worth it for the sound. I'm in the UK so it was an international order. Check the reviews and make your own mind up 😀

 

[dannyyankou]

Who is speaking?

I had this issue for the longest time, it was the worst.

 

[Remy149]

I'm not asking for improved hardware, like you said it's fine. Improved software however should have been delivered years ago. That was more my point.

They have consistently added new features to them it’s just a product that can only do but so much. What feature that only a software update can bring you are looking for?

 

[Remy149]

Does the HomePod line still refuse/fail to play well with Spotify, or is that resolved now? Can you set Spotify as your default service for music?

Very happy with my Sonos speakers, but can’t deny that the HomePod Mini is a sexy looking device…

Spotify is intentionally not implementing features and api they have had access to for years now.

 

[Digital Dude]

My sister has a pretty severe neurological condition affecting motor control. With a HomePod mini and smart lamps she doesn’t have to fumble for light switches at night.

Unfortunately, I also have a pretty serious neuropathy condition that limits me a lot. I use a powered wheelchair to get around and rely heavily on my nine HomePods, Google hubs, and of course, my Apple Watch. I’m living alone for now, though it’s still early in the day, but I definitely count on these near-field devices to get through my daily life. 🫤

 

[Mr Fide]

I’m too stupid to use mine. I just don’t understand how to keep it connected. I need to use basic Bluetooth speakers instead. It’s hard being a simpleton

 

[TechGuy327]

I have three and one of them died. They’ve been all right.

 

[Carlson-online]

Anyone should take this same idea the other way too: "what if I budgeted 2X or 3X (or more) regular HomePods: how much BETTER could my audio sound?"

There's a whole world of companies out there that are purely focused on producing fantastic-sounding speakers... not distracted by phones... and tablets... and computers.

Bonuses: if one would buy "dumb" speakers instead, they can:

• Buy much better quality of sound
• Set up true home theater audio- true surround and/or true ATMOS vs. faux ATMOS/surround options. Your ears can absolutely tell if sound supposed to be coming from all around you is only coming from in front of you.
• Occasionally (meaning maybe every 10 years or so) replace the "brains" (usually an AV Receiver) without having to toss the speaker portions too.
• If one is happy with Siri as brains, use Siri in the phone/tablet/Mac you already own... or through an AppleTV. It doesn't HAVE to be built into the speakers themselves- you already have it in everything else from Apple.
• If one likes to Airplay, the brains in that AV Receiver almost always support Airplay. Just be sure you choose one with it. Most have it.

Unlike stuff from Apple that we will fall all over ourselves to "be first" to spend THOUSANDS to buy, only to sense "long in tooth" in a few years and thus spend THOUSANDS again... and then again... great "dumb" speakers can last up to a lifetime. One or two Apple product-type budget allocations and you can enjoy great speakers for decades-to-life.

I know "we" love to buy Apple and only Apple... but there isn't even a rumor Apple is interested in true home theater setups... but there are abundant other choices already long-since there. All one has to do is "think different" and spend accordingly.

If you already own some HPs, they can easily move to other rooms to provide good sound in rooms where you might want to listen to some music. But in your main room(s), there are many opportunities to significantly upgrade the quality of sound... if you want it.

Doubts? Head to professional theaters, like your local cinema. Get there early while the lights are still up. Take a good look around in search of speakers. You will find none leaning on either 2 HPs or ANY soundbar down front. Instead, you'll see speakers positioned all around the theater. If it's an ATMOS theater, you'll also see speakers up above you. Why would cinemas spend all that money and go to some extra trouble of getting them all in their ideal spots if a couple of HPs or a Soundbar down front is just as good? They wouldn't. So why do they ALL do that? The answer to that question leads the way to the core concept in this post.

Again, "think different!"

I really wish they would release another AirPort Express like device! Would snap my arm off

 

[NickTuesday]

The minis sound terrible compared to the OG HomePods.

Of course, but you have to consider that you can get a stereo pair of the minis for $200 as opposed to one of its big brothers, for $300. For a small room, a pair hooked up to an Apple TV isn't too shabby.

 

[triptolemus]

I wish it had regular BT functionality...especially since it's already built-in.

This right here. I've got one sitting on my desk, mostly for HomeKit. Right next to it is a bluetooth speaker for my Mac to output to when I don't want to send audio to the larger audio system. Why can't I route Mac audio out to the HomePod easily? Seems like a no-brainer.

 

[Remy149]

Looks like I'm not the only one. They're a great stereo pair for a TV, but I turned Siri off. Especially now that Siri is noticeably faster and better on my phone, it seems to have actually gotten worse on the HomePods.

Only use Siri on HomePods for HomeKit stuff. It’s still faster and more responsive than the other platforms. I like being able to turn my TVs on and off as well as use voice to paused and resume stuff. I never ask Siri questions on any of my devices so maybe that’s why I don’t have many complaints

 

[AeroEd]

I’ve got nine of the original HomePods, and when they work, they’re fantastic. Unfortunately, iOS is pretty hit or miss when it comes to getting them to work consistently. Ironically, I get much better query responses, and reliability with my three Google hubs/displays. 🤷‍♂️

“It just works” 😂😂

 

[Powerbooky]

I have a pair of them, but my experience has been plagued by connection issues, drop-outs and unreliability in general. Wished these came with an ethernet port.

Probably my worst purchase. I’ve tried resetting it and it’s up to date, from day one it’s been unreliable. I’d have phone calls and the call will completely drop out. Never happens if not on the HomePod Mini.

Streaming data (music or calls) does need good wifi. Most wifi-modems do not handle streaming that well or even drop connections. It does help to get a separate good quality wifi AP and disable the wifi from those Chinese rebranded crap that most ISP's give customers.
Also avoid the 2.4GHz band! It is just too crowded for audio streaming. I have blocked all my HomePod's from the 2.4GHz band on the wifi AP because sometimes they have the tendency to go back to the 2.4GHz band (it remembers all the wifi networks of the iPhone that was used to configure the HomePod).
Enable "Intra-BSS Traffic"... when disabled it can cause a lot of trouble. And also try to avoid using Mesh wifi. Not all brands work seamlessly with (streaming) devices from other brands. Mesh actually causes more interference by using even more wifi channels. That's the reason why so many people in apartment building get disappointing wifi.

Since it’s reliant on Siri it is a pointless “smart” device. “Hey Siri can you say Dean” it can’t even do that. I’m hoping with the AI intelligence Siri will improve. Majority of the time it will respond with “I found this on the web for you.” Again pointless as I can use my iPhone instead to search the web.

Actually, the current Siri seems to use external servers for almost anything. Try asking for the time while the internet connection is down. It will say "I'm having trouble connecting to the internet". Why does it need internet for this? If it's for quick voice processing, that could be delegated to a suitable iPhone or iPad in the same network. Man, even my old iPod touch could easily understand me asking for the time without internet.
I certainly hope that "Apple Intelligence" will be supported by the current HomePod mini through any capable Mac, iPhone or iPad in the same network, rather than always using the internet.

I wish Apple would develop a home security system that integrates with HomePod.
Use iCloud for the video footage with cameras.

There are other DIY home security systems. But Apple can integrate the system with ALL Apple products.
Seems dumb they have not come out with one by now.

It does do some security, but indeed very limited. There's not really a built-in mechanism that is able to combine several HomeKit sensors automatically. There's a module in HomeBridge that can be used, but still you need to add several HomeKit rules manually to get it to work.
One thing I would like to have is the option for a notification on the HomePod mini whenever the security camera detects a person at the front door. You can get this on the AppleTV but not the HomePod mini. Only a doorbell is supported at his moment (HomePod OS 18.0). There's not even an option to play a short audio file while pausing the music that was already running. Or let Siri say some text. There's no option to trigger a text notification on a specific iPhone/iPad when some automation rule is triggered.
While I like the option that the HomePod mini is able to regonise specific sound like smoke alarms, you'll only get one notification of it and one chance to listen to it. The other day we were out of town and suddenly a message came in that some alarm had gone off at home. After clicking the notification once I could not get the iPhone play the recording again. (iOS 17.6). Once we got home we heard from neighbours that the alarm of some parked car had gone off. It was picked up by the HomePod mini upstairs through the open window.

I got one 2 weeks ago, didn't realise you couldn't pair with a windows pc (work laptop) via BT (my bad), and spotify is glitchy. My google nest mini works so much better (even with iOS - switched back from Android recently), and is half the price. it is mostly just a home hub now so my front door light can be switched on by siri (if it ever works).

I found that with earlier iOS versions the (master) hub function was kind of slow on the HomePod mini. A wired AppleTV did work better (even the non-Thread models). But since iOS17 I didn't notice much delay anymore. Other than issues caused by other RF sources like wireless stuff from neighbours and the extreme use of wifi repeaters/mesh by neighbours.

 

[Jamie0003]

“Hey Siri can you say Dean”

What even is this command?

 

[Jamie0003]

I got one 2 weeks ago, didn't realise you couldn't pair with a windows pc (work laptop) via BT (my bad), and spotify is glitchy. My google nest mini works so much better (even with iOS - switched back from Android recently), and is half the price. it is mostly just a home hub now so my front door light can be switched on by siri (if it ever works).

The annoying thing is there exists a cross platform version of airplay called matter casting. Issue is it’s only currently supported in the Amazon prime video app. Dbout it will ever be used elsewhere

 

[Jamie0003]

They are committed to them however it’s a product category that doesn’t need to be updated that often. There is nothing about HomePods that call for new releases every year

Normally no, but Apple intelligence says hello

 

[Jamie0003]

Until they offer some that will work with AppleTV, meh…

They already do?

 

[Jamie0003]

It just needs to be portable!

No it doesn’t. Apple have plenty of beats speakers you can use for this. This isn’t the intended function of HomePods

 

[Jamie0003]

This right here. I've got one sitting on my desk, mostly for HomeKit. Right next to it is a bluetooth speaker for my Mac to output to when I don't want to send audio to the larger audio system. Why can't I route Mac audio out to the HomePod easily? Seems like a no-brainer.

You can, it’s called airplay?