Especially one that's mostly reliant on Siri. 😂
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Apple Announces New HomePod for $299 With Full-Size Design, S7 Chip, and More
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The big question (at least for me) is this:
How will 2 less tweeters and mics be compared to first Gen?
Is this a cost saving measure, or an engineering change for the better?
We won’t know until people get their hands on them and compare them to 1st Gen.
Also, 802.11n aka only 2.4 GHz WiFi, but doesn’t AW 6 7 and 8/Ultra all support 5Ghz?
How will 2 less tweeters and mics be compared to first Gen?
Is this a cost saving measure, or an engineering change for the better?
We won’t know until people get their hands on them and compare them to 1st Gen.
Also, 802.11n aka only 2.4 GHz WiFi, but doesn’t AW 6 7 and 8/Ultra all support 5Ghz?
I've always thought to myself that a true smart home would keep tabs on both the indoor and outdoor temperatures, windspeeds and directions, and be able to open and close appropriate windows as needed to maintain a comfortable temperature, more than simply turning on/off the HVAC.
Yeah, cause we all know the primary target of all of apples products and advertising are grandmas.
What else are they going to call it? Doesn't change that the messaging and comments are acting like this is a brand new device.Debunked, the link is literally "HomePod 2nd gen":
HomePod (2nd generation)
High-fidelity audio. Intelligent assistant. Home hub that works across devices. HomePod is a powerhouse speaker with the privacy of Apple built in.www.apple.com
I agree Bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth for high fidelity audio (yet) but hopefully it will come in future specifications.
However, the HomePods use Wi-Fi so have considerably higher bandwidth available. If you use a TV or other device with ARC and an Apple TV 4K, you'll be able to get some additional flexibility.
Aux-in would be nice though, but I can't see Apple bringing it to the devices any time soon.
there's no such thing as stereo sound without 2 speakers....
Use an Apple TV 4K and a TV with ARC support and you can pass all audio to the HomePods. I do it with my PS5 and Xbox Series S to great results.
Temperature and humidity sensor in HomePod mini?
Interesting note: the indoor temperature and humidity sensing is being enabled on HomePod mini. It’s been there since late 2020 hardware wise, and just now being enabled with software in early 2023.
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I miss the days when every time Apple launched a product I was excited. I wanted to buy it, from yesterday and today I just don’t get the updates. This is so minor and the HomePod is the same as the last one still overpriced. What is the point in Apple start making something that’s exciting
I don't think they will ever sell a "HomePod" branded product with a removable power cord. They want these things to serve as Home Hubs, which means they need to be stationary and reliably connected to power 24/7 because if the thing runs out of battery you risk no longer being able to control your lights or ring your doorbell. I think that's the same reason they cut the iPad's ability to serve as a Home Hub.
So my impression is that they think of HomePod as a smart home controller first, and audio producing product second. If they would make a more portable smart speaker with a battery and removable power cord that could be used on the go, my guess is they wouldn't market it as a "HomePod" but use a different brandname.
Just my 2 cents, not sure if it's how they actually see it, but it sure would explain some of the choices they made.
Yep. Been there since late 2020, and just now being enabled.
My guess is it's related to an engineering change to fix the heating issues that caused the OG to poop itself. My OG's are still kicking but I know A LOT of OG's farted themselves out of existence because they would get so hot internally that it cooked the chips on the amplifier.
The point was that the specs now seem to suggest you can do this without having homekit temperature sensors, and use the built in sensor which is now listed in the mini’s specs.
1- sarcasm flies right over you
2- thats the point isn’t it?
The product lines are already insanely cluttered and bloated as it is IMO. Do consumers really need to look at every purchase with a magnifying glass to understand if ‘shiny new thing’ they’re forking more over for, has any drawbacks from its predecessor, that should Be a clear improvement, or at min parity, in virtually every way? Turns out, yes they do - if they don’t want to get burned by some surprise down the road.
Take the umbilical cord and first gen pencil fiasco with the puzzling 10th gen iPad release.
And the insane cost when you add everything up, might as well go Pro.
They’re getting cheaper (IMO) and they’re being less thoughtful about what they’re putting out (again IMO)
I think re-packaging the iPhone 13’s A15 SoC with iPhone 14 and 14 Plus was a sus move too @ starting asking price of $799 and $899
yes I know this. I meant the Temp Humidity chip that is in the NEW HomePod and the Mini (as advertised now on the comparison page). I do NOT have a temp sensor in the kitchen where my HPM sits. it would be nice to ask it what the temp is "in here" and it would let me know the temperature in the kitchen...or anywhere else I may have a HomePod. Plus that would be ONE less thing to buy/have batteries for when it is already included in a device.
Wow, I never heard about that. Totally missed that news. That makes sense.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Right. I think the AUX crowd want the security in the "what if Apple gives up on these?" scenario. A demotion to "dumb" (but still great sounding) speakers is better than having them potentially lose all usefulness because of how Apple evolves tvOS and iOS should that evolution "give up" on HomePods at some point.
Speakers are not like most Apple tech: they can last 10-20 years and still sound great. However, "smart" speakers completely dependent on the "smarts" being kept up to date could cut into that useful life... even if the speaker itself is still perfectly fine and fully capable of playing great sound.
I want to buy one, but on the other hand for the price of 1 full-sized HomePod I could also choose to buy 3 separate HomePod minis. That's 1 stereo pair for the TV + one more for the bedroom.
Can anybody think of a good reason why buying the larger speaker is better than buying 3 small ones for the same price? Need argumentation to convince myself and especially my wife
Can anybody think of a good reason why buying the larger speaker is better than buying 3 small ones for the same price? Need argumentation to convince myself and especially my wife