Hands-On With the New HomePod Mini

[profmjh]

I've ordered two. I want to use them as stereo speakers with my Apple TV — presumably they will cut my TV's speakers out of the deal.

When they're set up in this way, can I still use them in other ways when I'm not watching TV, e.g. can I transfer music from my phone to one of them? And will it play the music the phone was playing on both of them?

 

[ascender]

I've ordered two. I want to use them as stereo speakers with my Apple TV — presumably they will cut my TV's speakers out of the deal.

When they're set up in this way, can I still use them in other ways when I'm not watching TV, e.g. can I transfer music from my phone to one of them? And will it play the music the phone was playing on both of them?

Yes, if you set them up as a pair, they just appear as a single device on your phone, ipad etc so you can just airplay music to them with one touch.

And yes you can change the output in ATV which effectively cuts out your tv speakers.

 

[citysnaps]

I couldn't find the option for that in the Apple TV menus. I checked Video & Audio, Devices (or whatever it's called), no option to select my Minis. I was finally able to do it by swiping down on the remote after I started playing a show and selecting it from the menu that appears at the top of the screen.

If your HomePod and AppleTV have the latest software update, you should be able to set that up in Apple TV's: Settings >Video and Audio > Default Audio Output and selecting the room your HomePod is located in.

 

[G5isAlive]

I don't have any. The benchmarks to compare this against is a 3rd generation Echo which is $30. At $100, the Harmon Kardon Invoke with Cortana sounded amazing, but... Cortana...

There are plenty of sub $100 computer speakers, they even have subwoofers, but no digital assistant. Likewise, there's a good number of bookshelf speakers for the $100 price point, again without the digital assistant or amp though.

What's killing me is that my wife wants to be able to say "bla bla bla play some song" while cooking, and I'm anti-Amazon and anti-Google, so my choices are a $99 mini or $299 HomePod. I was hoping that the mini would fill a void somewhere between a $30 speaker and a $300 speaker, but it really doesn't.

If you don't have any recommendations than how can you make the definitive declaration that there are better choices? You are right, there are tons of cheaper choices out there, and I have tried a lot, name brands, and just have not found your statement to be true, for my ears at least. I admit sounds quality is about as subjective as it gets. But you seem to have a bit of subjectivity going on here too. My mini sounds better than them all to my ears. But hey, happy wife, happy life, be a big spender and spring the $99. And if you also want, what is in your mind, a better, cheaper speaker, too, splurge. go wild. get both. And then let me know what this speaker is... seriously.

 

[Mr. Awesome]

When it will play Spotify then I will get one

You mean when Spotify adds HomePod support.

 

[MiBook84]

The photo makes it look like it glows like a lamp and wow, imagine if it did! Would be cool.

 

[Corbenn]

Has anyone tried a pair of these minis with their Mac or Apple TV? Does it work/sound well?

 

[KrispE00]

That's where I put mine. Fits right in the corner of my new vanity like it was made to be there. It's actually an amazing bathroom speaker. While in the shower, I only have to raise my voice the slightest bit and Siri picks up commands just fine, faster than the original HP actually. This is over top of blaring music, loud fan (older house, original squeaky vent fans), and the running shower (good pressure through a loud aerating shower head). Sound quality is just OK compared to original HP... no felt bass or twinkly highs. In the bathroom though, between running water and fans and sonic toothbrushes and electric razors, sound quality isn't my number one concern anyhow.

I bought a mini for my bathroom because the large HomePod had too much bass for the shower - all I could hear was the bass. I’m a little disappointed in the mini though. I hear the bass and the vocals, but still mostly bass, and no highs in the shower. Homepod definitely needs a user EQ so I can crank the highs and lower the bass for shower time.

 

[BWhaler]

Not necessary. Just say, “Hey Siri, answer the phone”

Serious, non-snarky question.

Is Siri fast enough to actually answer call in time? I’d love to use these as mobile phone speakers, but the lack of native mute and reliance on Siri seem like deal breakers.

Any insights would be most welcome.

 

[pauloregan]

We have had two HomePod minis arrive today. Very happy with them. One is in the hall. We have 5 HomePods downstairs (in the lounge is a stereo pair plus three other rooms) and I wanted to fill the gap in the soundd when walking around (without the boom of the bigger HomePod.

The other is in a smaller office. Our first one upstairs.

We set up Home app zones and Siri plays to all the downstairs HomePods when asked.

All good so far.

EDIT: PS. There is a slight bug with Big Sur. The music app sees the Lounge 2 HomePods as a pair. The control centre airplay does not. It lists two separate lounge speakers (and it only plays to one or the other). Definitely a bug.

 

[CHRISBklyn]

It is very annoying that it will not allow the HomePod Mini to be the Default Audio for an Apple TV. I know that you can select the Mini from Airplay on the Apple TV but it will lose that connection the next time you open it and some apps won’t work with AirPlay. The Big HomePod now has the option to be the default Audio and I’ve set it up in my Living Room. It sounds great and it never loses the connection. I get that the Mini can’t provide the rich Home Theater sound that the HomePod can simulate but I simply want to have better sound from my Bedroom TV as it’s just the crappy sound from the speakers in the TV. Is that so much to ask???

 

[ipedro]

(Deleted)

 

[Minuteman3]

Picked up a pair of Mini's yesterday and they'll be heading back to Apple tomorrow. Spent all day trying to get them setup as audio for my ATV4K and it was pretty much a failure. The only way they would work is as an AirPlay option. Getting them to pair and work with the ATV like the full size Homepods can was a no go. Spent a while on the phone with Apple Care, and the "senior advisor" confirmed that the minis are a NOGO for that direct connection.

The sound when setup as Airplay was OK but I had a noticeable sync problem between the person's lips and the sound that came out. As near as I could tell, there was no way to solve the problem. So, back they go!!

I did notice that when used as a pair for music played from my phone, the sound quality was very good. Not as rich as the original HomePod, but certainly much better than similar size Alexa speakers!!

Cheers!!

Ken

 

[Bluetoot-]

EDIT: sure looked like scratches but it some mysterious... something. It eventually cleaned off.

Well, I’m a little disappointed. My HomePod was scratched upon opening the box. No idea what happened to it.

 

[GSO]

Apple's new $99 HomePod mini officially launched yesterday, with the first pre-order purchases arriving to customers and Apple beginning in-store sales. We picked up a new HomePod mini and thought we'd test it out for MacRumors readers who are curious how Apple's smaller HomePod measures up to the original model.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

The HomePod mini measures in at just 3.3 inches tall and 3.9 inches wide, so it's a good deal smaller than the standard HomePod. Despite the size, we were impressed at the sound that this little device was able to put out.

It sounds great, and compared to other speakers in this size and at this price point, the HomePod mini really stands out from the competition. For such a small speaker, the sound quality is a little bit mind blowing. At max volume, there's no distortion and the sound is crisp and clear, which is also quite impressive.

In terms of size, the HomePod mini is probably smaller than you're imagining. It can fit in the palm of a hand, and it's lightweight, which means it can go just about anywhere. Unfortunately it does need to be plugged in to operate, and it comes with a USB-C cable and a 20W Apple power adapter that it connects to. At the top, there are some touch gestures, but it's easiest to control HomePod mini with Siri commands.

Apple designed an Intercom feature to go along with the HomePod mini, envisioning a HomePod mini in every room of the house for home-wide communication. As the feature suggests, it serves as an intercom for family members to communicate with one another without having to shout. You have to have a HomePod to use Intercom, but you can send messages with an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or through CarPlay.

HomePod mini also supports almost all of the same features as the HomePod, such as Handoff for transferring music from a phone to the speaker and vice versa, but we had a bit of trouble getting this working all the time. That should improve later this year when Apple adds an update that will introduce new U1-powered haptic feedback features for transferring songs between the iPhone and the HomePod.

The HomePod mini works with HomeKit devices, can play Apple Music, supports AirPlay 2, can be used for phone calls, works in a stereo pair, and serves as a Home hub, so there's a lot going on here.

The best part about the HomePod mini is the price tag. It's offering solid sound at a low price, and it's a lot easier to shell out $99 for a little home speaker than it is to pay the full $299 price for the regular HomePod. If you've been holding out on getting a HomePod because of the high price, the HomePod mini is worth checking out for the wealth of functionality that it offers to those in the Apple ecosystem.

Do you have a HomePod mini? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Article Link: Hands-On With the New HomePod Mini

 

[GSO]

Apple's new $99 HomePod mini officially launched yesterday, with the first pre-order purchases arriving to customers and Apple beginning in-store sales. We picked up a new HomePod mini and thought we'd test it out for MacRumors readers who are curious how Apple's smaller HomePod measures up to the original model.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

The HomePod mini measures in at just 3.3 inches tall and 3.9 inches wide, so it's a good deal smaller than the standard HomePod. Despite the size, we were impressed at the sound that this little device was able to put out.

It sounds great, and compared to other speakers in this size and at this price point, the HomePod mini really stands out from the competition. For such a small speaker, the sound quality is a little bit mind blowing. At max volume, there's no distortion and the sound is crisp and clear, which is also quite impressive.

In terms of size, the HomePod mini is probably smaller than you're imagining. It can fit in the palm of a hand, and it's lightweight, which means it can go just about anywhere. Unfortunately it does need to be plugged in to operate, and it comes with a USB-C cable and a 20W Apple power adapter that it connects to. At the top, there are some touch gestures, but it's easiest to control HomePod mini with Siri commands.

Apple designed an Intercom feature to go along with the HomePod mini, envisioning a HomePod mini in every room of the house for home-wide communication. As the feature suggests, it serves as an intercom for family members to communicate with one another without having to shout. You have to have a HomePod to use Intercom, but you can send messages with an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or through CarPlay.

HomePod mini also supports almost all of the same features as the HomePod, such as Handoff for transferring music from a phone to the speaker and vice versa, but we had a bit of trouble getting this working all the time. That should improve later this year when Apple adds an update that will introduce new U1-powered haptic feedback features for transferring songs between the iPhone and the HomePod.

The HomePod mini works with HomeKit devices, can play Apple Music, supports AirPlay 2, can be used for phone calls, works in a stereo pair, and serves as a Home hub, so there's a lot going on here.

The best part about the HomePod mini is the price tag. It's offering solid sound at a low price, and it's a lot easier to shell out $99 for a little home speaker than it is to pay the full $299 price for the regular HomePod. If you've been holding out on getting a HomePod because of the high price, the HomePod mini is worth checking out for the wealth of functionality that it offers to those in the Apple ecosystem.

Do you have a HomePod mini? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Article Link: Hands-On With the New HomePod Mini

The best part of the video is that you muted the "hey Siri" part... I saw another review the other day... and they did not put the "hey Siri" phrase and my home office went crazy.... my laptop, my HomePod and my phone all lit up and played Halsey!! LOLOL

 

[SDArch]

EDIT: sure looked like scratches but it some mysterious... something. It eventually cleaned off.

Well, I’m a little disappointed. My HomePod was scratched upon opening the box. No idea what happened to it.
View attachment 1671437

Mine flew out of the box and rolled across the floor when I opened it

 

[Crzylikefox]

I already have the big HomePod...would I be able to buy a Mini and it would play the same song throughout the house together?

 

[alecc131]

Is anybody else completely unable to setup the mini? I have three HomePods and never had this issue before. New mini is stuck on configuring –– after awhile, it will reboot and completely reset itself. This happens over and over. Cannot get the mini setup

 

[darkslide29]

I am sure I am in the minority.. I already use Sonos for my music in every room. I want to use HomePods solely for my smart home (no Amazon echos, or google for me). I have the first gen HomePod, and am trying to figure out if I should ditch it for one of these instead.

 

[KennyJr]

I posted this in another thread but I’ve had a HomePod Mini for almost 24 hours now. The mini is replacing its older sibling (HomePod) as a nightstand speaker, which I moved to a larger room. I’m not an audiophile so take it with a grain of salt, but to my ear the HomePod Mini is a great little speaker when the volume is cranked up, but the SQ is only slightly better than my 3rd gen Echo Dot which was a fraction of the cost. I think the iOS/Apple integration is where HomePod mini truly shines, but on SQ alone I think there are better options out there.

What is an SQ?

 

[Digital Dude]

I'm getting tired of people mindlessly claiming that Alexa and Google are way better than Siri. I don't believe they have actually tested that, just go along with the narrative. For me, Siri is far more useful and accurate the Google. google often takes two or three requests, Siri is first time almost every time. (I will admit, if you are a toddler, Google does fart sounds, Siri does not)

Here are some examples I've recently used. Send a message to my daughter, add to a shopping list, create reminders, set alarms and timers (of course), get directions, add/remove speakers from playing as a group and with AppleTV, Play on Pandora, play radio stations on iheart radio, run scenes from Home app (turn off lights downstairs, turn on lights upstairs, run automations, program functions through scenes and shortcuts...... I really run into trouble thinking of what I am having trouble doing.

Is it time to have a professional review again with a list of questions asked by each assistant? And tested by people who actually know how to use each assistant (familiarity is a benefit) Last time Google came barely on top (do to shopping, and who shops on a smart speaker?), followed by Siri and trailed by Alexa.

While somewhat a point that Alexa and Google support more devices, Siri supports many devices in each device class, and lets face it, you will get some lights once every few years, a door lock once in ten maybe, etc. The suppliers going with HomeKit do seem to be better quality than some others. Take a door lock, ours supposedly upgrades, but it won't.

I have eight HomePods, and I recently added a Nest Hub Max, Nest IQ Cameras, and the Nest Doorbell. I couldn't find anything close to the IQ quality for HomeKit.

So, the setup allows me to play around with 'Google Assistant' alongside a 'HomePod' sitting next to the Nest Hub Max. I discovered that Siri has improved, reportedly by 20%. So now, I ask the same questions to both to determine any differences. So far, they both answer the same questions, with 'Google Assistant' being somewhat contextual, often adding just a bit more to the answer.

Sidebar: While I'm aware and use shortcuts, I use the Nest gear with the 'Google Home App' and it works fine. HomeKit is great when all of my HomePods, AppleTV, AirPods Pro, AppleWatch, Siri, Apple Music, and Apple Podcast all work together. ✌️

 

[jcshas]

What is an SQ?

sound quality

 

[ipedro]

Dan said:”if you’re looking for a voice assistant that is capable of creating complex skills like you can do with Alexa (...) then the HomePod might not be for you”.

Dan, you might’ve missed the entirety of the Shortcuts app. The argument that Alexa has Skills and Siri doesn’t, hasn’t been true for a couple of years now. Not only do many many apps on the world‘s biggest App Store suggest pre-built shortcuts (like Alexa Skills), your imagination is the limit on what Shortcuts you can build that not only matches but exceeds what you can do with Alexa Skills. And those Shortcuts are accessible via Siri on your HomePod.

For example, my Dyson Air Purifier isn’t HomeKit compatible but does have both an Alexa Skill and a Siri Shortcut. I can say Hey Siri, clean the air, and voila, it runs my Dyson Air Purifier.

These Shortcuts are no more complicated to turn on than an Alexa Skill, but better, as you can see around the web or browsing the Shortcuts Gallery, people have come up with incredibly complex Shortcuts that can do basically anything you put your mind to. And they’re easy to install for those less inclined to tinker in creating one.

Time to put to bed the argument that HomePod doesn’t have expandable “Skills”.

 

[George Dawes]

Got one from John Lewis - sound for something so tiny is amazing !!

You can change the EQ in the music app on ios btw