Ability to pair as rear surround sound speakers please.
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HomePod Mini 2: Everything We Know So Far
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I suspect that that is the long term plan but I don’t expect Apple to just throw out a clone of ChatGPT. It should be something more focused on things you can do on your devices and with better privacy protections and some guardrails to keep it from going “Sydney” on us.
Apple has already built its own ChatGPT-like chatbot
Report: Apple has already built its own ChatGPT-like chatbot
The tool is being used internally by employees—with some major restrictions.
arstechnica.com
How about a HomePod Max you can sit on, with a 12" subwoofer?
If used away from the home network, they do act in a way like bluetooth speakers. I took one of mine on our holiday and put it near the private pool. I could use it right away, streaming directly to the HomePod mini. The JBL bluetooth speaker we had previously took more clicks to get it working and with barely 10 meters (bluetooth) range.
After I connected to the local wifi, the HomePod mini automatically reconfigured itself to that same network; location and timezone were adjusted too. Then it worked like at home again.
One thing though, while it was aware of its location somehow, it also was connected to our home and part of the home automation. In the early morning it started playing a radio station as it normally does at home. If I had a Homekit doorbel at home, it would probably ring too, 2500km away 😄
BTW: I use a 30Ah power bank that has a 30W USB-C connector, it can power one HomePod mini for up to 7 days.
Both good features. I have 8 in the house and can only use four at the same time with one stream, due to the fact that it uses one channel 802.11n wifi (72Mbps) regardless if your wifi supports 2, 4 or 8 channel bandwidth. If I try more it hogs the wifi and playback breaks down.
It is possible to use all 8 at the same time, only if they all play something on their own (mono and stereo pairs).
The HomePod mini 2 / HomePod 3 should therefore support at least 802.11ax to get better streaming and that would also to make it much more robust to wifi interferences.
Not a chance I'll buy another HomePod until they fix the issue of having the phone, in my hand, which can hear me perfectly, hand off the “Hey Siri” request to the HomePod, which is downstairs and on the other side of the house, and from which I can just barely hear the faint response complaining it couldn't hear me.
Also, the phone handing off a “personal request” to the HomePod, which has personal requests disabled and then gives a complaint, instead of letting the phone do it.
Also, the phone handing off a “personal request” to the HomePod, which has personal requests disabled and then gives a complaint, instead of letting the phone do it.
I find Siri quite useful on the HomePod. Son has dumped Alexa for Siri and HomePod minis. I expect it to be really good by the end of 2024. The one thing I would like is to be able to mix HomePods and Minis to create a surround sound experience. I don’t really need a HomePod with a display, but I’m sure others may have a use for it.
I guess I don't know what people are using Echos, Google Homes and HomePods for other than these commands after the trigger word(s). Are you asking it for a history report or something? All of them are only good for the first part.
Give me purple, pink, or turquoise & I’ll take 3 minis and 2 full sized ones lol
Sure took the wind out of your guessing sails there, huh Gurman? 😂
Okay, so I’m not the only one with this issue.
I like listening to video essays during my showers and the darn thing stops the video at odd moments.
I use the minis with HomeKit - they work well most of the time. Sometimes Siri gets a room mixed up.
Now watch a classic Apple move where the Mini 2 will not be compatible with the original mini.
Now watch a classic Apple move where the Mini 2 will not be compatible with the original mini.
Hey Siri basically invokes different device each time in my home! it's very frustrating. There is no way to control which device responds. I prefer my HomePod to respond at home, but its always random, sometimes watch, sometimes phone and sometimes my wife's phone! why? I thought all apple devices recognize voice.
Siri is already outdated as is!
If not for this weird experience, I would have got more homepod minis around home.
Siri is already outdated as is!
If not for this weird experience, I would have got more homepod minis around home.
Upgraded the SOC that happened to contain an older Wi-Fi chipset. No impact to most people.
I wish you could target specific devices or at least types of devices. Let me name my damned devices, Apple.
Atmos. Just give me Atmos support for an array of HomePods connected to my ATV, and I will buy a dozen of them.
Soo true… granted, it’s useful when it works. However just today Siri triggered somehow when I didn’t say a thing about her or to her, on and on about a nearby hotel. I said NO, STOP multiple times…. Siri proceeded to list another hotel location and info…WTF? So weird…. Thank goodness when I tapped the dang top surface the jabbering finally stopped. Sheesh.
Nevertheless, I enjoy having one, very useful for ocean / rain sounds, and for the ~50% of time success with voice commands like turn on/off a light.
Siri is so bad, that it’s pointless to upgrade until they vastly improve Siri.
A fall release for a deep red color would be wonderful.
All I want from a new HomePod (normal or mini) is for it to have a battery so I can move it around, put it in places where it's awkward to run a cable, etc.
