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HomePod Mini vs. HomePod Buyer's Guide
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The HomePod Mini uses a USB C plug. So... You could purchase a battery bank that has a USB C port. Charge the battery bank, the take the HomePod Mini outdoors.
Its not as integrated as a built-in battery, I get that, but its a not too terrible work around especially if you already have a battery bank laying around. We have several little battery banks, but none USB C, but perhaps there is a USB C to A adapter that could work.
This idea will become moot if the HomePod Mini is power hungry or if you don't have WiFi (or good WiFi) in the area you are wanting to use it.
To a degree, yes. You can turn off the Listen for "Hey Siri" and Touch and Hold for Siri options which basically disables Siri. We don't use Siri on our four Homepods. They are used solely for airplaying music from our Macs and iPods. The sound they produce is simply wonderful!
I wonder why Apple doesn't let you put 2 HomePods and 3 HomePod Minis together for a 5.0 surround setup. L + R HomePods, HomePod Minis cover center and L/R surrounds. It wouldn't be the best surround setup for sure, but it's cheaper than Sonos (under $1K), doesn't require complicated amplifier and wiring mess like most surround setups, and keeps you all in the Apple system if you want it. (That said, I love my Sonos 5.1 setup and wouldn't trade it).
EDIT: Now that I think about it, you can actually make a Sonos 5.0 setup for under $1K as well with a Beam and 2 One SLs, total cost about $760 and it would sound pretty good for a minimal setup too. You wouldn't get quite the bass response and stereo separation as with HomePods, but the Beam would make a better center channel speaker than a HomePod Mini (sound-wise and aesthetically). A Sonos Arc + 2 One SLs would run you about $1160, more expensive, but would blow away the HomePod setup. Bottom line is Apple doesn't really have a viable home theater solution, but why don't they?
EDIT: Now that I think about it, you can actually make a Sonos 5.0 setup for under $1K as well with a Beam and 2 One SLs, total cost about $760 and it would sound pretty good for a minimal setup too. You wouldn't get quite the bass response and stereo separation as with HomePods, but the Beam would make a better center channel speaker than a HomePod Mini (sound-wise and aesthetically). A Sonos Arc + 2 One SLs would run you about $1160, more expensive, but would blow away the HomePod setup. Bottom line is Apple doesn't really have a viable home theater solution, but why don't they?
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why not? just choose under volume icon, my homepod is 'living room'
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Not sold by Apple, but available from a lot of grey market importers.I would love to buy the HomePod or the new HomePod mini, but it is not sold in most countries across the whole continent of Europe!
Um... airplay should allow you to send your computer audio to the HomePod, curious if it will also allow the microphones to be used because if it did I think the mini might become my new zoom/GTM/Teams speaker phone. I'll test this out.
I bought a solid maple 1945 AM AC/DC radio and gutted it. I'm going to be using it to play jazz music all night while I sleep. The HomePod would just barely fit in the case. The mini will fit in with plenty of room to spare. I think the mini is the best selection for a low volume requirement like this.
The original HomePod can already do the audio handoff feature. I too didn't realize it, but it can. Maybe the U1 chip makes it a little more reliable, but the feature is not exclusive to the mini.
Oh, I know it is “supposed” to do handoff. It just doesn’t work 90% of the time so you stop trying.
the U1 in the mini and newer iPhones ensures that it works every time because they know that they’re pointing at each other. There’s a subtle rumble as you get close and then it pops over. With the original HomePod, there’s no indication that it’s working or going to work. And it just doesn’t work most of the time. Adding the U1 in a silent update would fix that problem. Handoff should really work on a premium device that is 3 times the price.
If Airplay 2 is nice, then yes. Otherwise, I don't see Spotify building in native support for HomePod. It's been years, and I don't see them wanting to play nice with Apple.
I have both HomePod (1st gen) and HomePod mini. The way I distinguish them are simple.
HomePod mini: bedrooms and kitchen, primarily used as alarm clock and to control HomeKit accessories.
HomePod: living room and family family, paired to Apple TV 4K, primarily used as speakers.
HomePod mini: bedrooms and kitchen, primarily used as alarm clock and to control HomeKit accessories.
HomePod: living room and family family, paired to Apple TV 4K, primarily used as speakers.
A really nice use case for the minis is nightstand speakers. We have a relatively large bedroom and have our tv mounted on the other side of the room. Using them on our nightstands tied into the AppleTV 4k means if we're watching TV in bed we don't have to blast it to hear the dialogue. And the sound doesn't blow you away, but the stereo effects we wouldn't normally notice watching TV come across really well. My seven year old also loves the intercom feature when she has requests after bedtime
the better speakers on the 2nd gen HomePod are not worth another $200. that’s nonsense, maybe $100 at most.
it honestly feels a bit insulting that apple’s releasing a repackaged homepod mini and charging thrice as much for it lol
also i remember reading a while back that homepod mini was supposed to get dolby atoms spatial audio??
Would have liked to have HomePod in colours similar to the mini.