Apple Announces HomePod mini With Spherical Design and S5 Chip for $99

[irj]

Does this have a stereo mini out port? I want to connect to my stereo, but not via Bluetooth preferably.

 

[pilotpat]

Does this have a stereo mini out port? I want to connect to my stereo, but not via Bluetooth preferably.

No it doesn't. From the info that is available it will be Airplay and maybe, MAYBE, Bluetooth.

 

[jmpstar]

I really wish Apple would put out a smart display, quite honestly. I have a Lenovo smart display running Google Assistant. Now that Google Play Music is going away and I don't care a lot for YouTube Music, I'm looking at different music streaming options, including Apple Music. Wish I could use Apple Music on my Lenovo, but nope. I guess I could get an Echo Show, but from what I understand, that wouldn't show Apple Music lyrics. Oh, well. Maybe someday!

 

[ErikGrim]

I really wish Apple would put out a smart display, quite honestly. I have a Lenovo smart display running Google Assistant. Now that Google Play Music is going away and I don't care a lot for YouTube Music, I'm looking at different music streaming options, including Apple Music. Wish I could use Apple Music on my Lenovo, but nope. I guess I could get an Echo Show, but from what I understand, that wouldn't show Apple Music lyrics. Oh, well. Maybe someday!

 

[Solomani]

I'm sure it's not listed on the product website, but does anyone know how LOUD the HomePod, and also the HomePod Mini, can get to? In decibels.

 

[burgman]

Spotify is shut out? Apple needs to grow up and stop this pettiness.

hopefully it has Bluetooth.

The inverse is also true.

 

[burgman]

Plot twist: the HomePod Mini doesn't come with a charger either.

If Apple made the charger out of carbon fiber would that offset the carbon released

 

[inkswamp]

Spotify is shut out?

You know this for a fact? Where did you hear it?

Or is this another situation where some self-important tech company thinks Apple is obligated to bend to accommodate their every whim or they rush out to the press to whine about how abusive and nasty Tim Cook is?

 

[LegCortex]

In the same post you seem to be arguing that it is too expensive and not expensive enough. (It cannot be battery powered with an inductive charging base and be $99).

I have no issue with the $99 price point personally. I was just speculating that if they’d brought it more in line with cheaper offerings from Amazon, it’d be a for-sure hit rather than a let’s-wait-and see success.

The magnetic puck stuff was just something I think would’ve been a badass design choice.

I can see how mentioning both thoughts in proximity made it seem like I was conflating the two suggestions, but I meant for them to be discrete observations.

 

[Neodym]

I'm sure it's not listed on the product website, but does anyone know how LOUD the HomePod, and also the HomePod Mini, can get to? In decibels.

 

[Solomani]

Many thanks for posting that! HomePod with a max reading of 102 decibels... is quite loud for a medium-sized room, aye.

Now... Im just hoping that the Mini's volume is not too much weaker (although I do expect it to be weaker since it's quite smaller).

 

[Alan Wynn]

I can see how mentioning both thoughts in proximity made it seem like I was conflating the two suggestions, but I meant for them to be discrete observations.

That is the real problem. There are people who want a cheaper model, there are people who want a battery powered model (still not clear on the use case for a battery powered smart speaker that needs an always on internet connection to perform its prime function). Some want a display, some want a sound bar.

Apple has rarely (never?) hit every segment of a market. I understand the desire for a very low priced smart net-connected microphone that would work well with a home theatre system (or the option to create larger arrays of HomePods (maybe coupled with an Apple Subwoofer ). I am just not clear big the market is for any of these other devices.

Amazon has sold a great many of the lowest priced Echo dots (and has paid people to take them - my Instant Pod WiFi and Chef Steps Sous Vide both were $15 cheaper if I agreed to let them ship me Echo dots with them - they are still in the boxes). I am just not sure that they made any money on them, and if one does not use them to order products via Amazon or sell AWS services, I am not sure how they benefit from them.

Google clearly wins by selling your data (which may also be Amazon's model), but that strategy does not work for Apple.