Leaker: HomePod 'Mini' Close to Launch, But No Second-Generation HomePod This Year

[vmistery]

The connectivity issue to non Apple devices really is a thing, In an ideal world for me I'd use the HomePod as the speaker for my music as well as my Xbox in the Bedroom. I really don't need an Alexa recording bedroom activities but would like a voice assistant always on in there, at the moment if I have my phone under a pillow / under the cat Siri does not hear me! Really is a first world problem though so it doesn't bother me a huge amount. RimWorld crashing my 16"MBP however very much does.

 

[GadgetBen]

Can't wait for a mini, this will be great for rooms where I don't care about amazing sound.

The Mini will be portable and IP68 water resistant.

The intention is that you can bring it to the pool etc and travel with it.

 

[javisan]

You forgot to add Tax. $149 and $249.

Agree! But expect to see the mini for $99 at Best Buy after a couple of months of no one buying it.

 

[newyorksole]

I loveee my HomePods, but for the love of God... Please Apple... Make Siri smarter. If I have to hear “just a sec” or “hold on, I’m on it!” when I ask to play a simple popular song, I’m gonna go crazy Lol.

I love the sound and design. Just needs better software and AI.

I would totally get a HomePod mini. I wonder if it’s going to have any new features that the regular doesn’t have. We’ll see.

 

[javisan]

Apple is making the mini version to make it cheaper and sell more. That won't work for me.

The homepod sounds amazing, if I we're looking for a great speaker, I would have one already. I'm looking for an excellent smart speaker. Unfortunately the mini version does not solve this as Siri continues to be the dumbest one of all.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Can definitely see a mini being ideal for bedrooms and offices. Still think the bigger one would be better for larger living rooms/kitchens.

 

[uller6]

Hopefully the mini won't have overpowering base like the bigger HomePod has. Whoever at Apple tuned the HomePod before release must have been working for Amazon (Sabotage).

I hate the HomePod so much due to the way it sounds, but i am still going to try the mini though as i really want an Apple smart speaker. Hopefully they will have tuned the mini a lot better.

As a bass player, I love the HomePod EQ. I can finally hear all those bass lines.

 

[david.olstein]

How about adding Airplay 2 support to Mac OSX? I bought two - yes, two -- Home Pods to use as a stereo pair. But can I stream audio directly to the stereo pair from my Mac Mini? For some reason, Apple has made it very difficult to do this. Airplay 2 was introduced all the way back in 2017, and Apple still hasn't integrated Airplay 2 and its support for stereo pairing into OSX. Why?????? Stereo pairing is a great feature. And yet Apple won't support this in its Mac OS.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Apple is also expected to add third-party music support to the HomePod in a future software update. The latter feature will presumably allow Spotify and other music services to be set as the default music service, letting users ask Siri to stream music by specifying "with Spotify" at the end of a request

I hope I don't have to add "with Spotify" to the end of every request. It would be much better if I could just set the default streaming service to Spotify, and forget about it.

 

[iDento]

Exactly. The fact that HomePod can't just be a Bluetooth speaker is hurting its appeal.

And do HomePods still need to be plugged into the wall?

There's a reason people still buy simple wireless Bluetooth speakers from JBL, UE, etc. You can easily take them in the backyard by the pool or in the garage. And anyone can easily connect to them at a party.

I understand that HomePods sound amazing for their size. And they have Siri and HomeKit in there too. They are true "smart" speakers.

But sometimes people just want sound that's not chained to the wall.

But those are different category of speakers. That‘s like comparing a true wireless headset to an overhead cable one.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Apple should bring HomePod more widely available. In Finland (for example) you can't buy it from Apple or from 3rd party retailers.

Same in Sweden. I would have bought several by now.

What could be holding it back? It certainly isn’t Siri quality since it (although admittedly terrible) is already available in Swedish on iOS, Mac and Apple TV.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I think the regular HomePod is a wonderful bargain even if it were priced at $500. For a small speaker the sound quality is unmatched at this price point. I think people who complain that it’s too expensive want APPLE to give them away. And I use any music service I want to play from using my iPhone, including Spotify. Rings on the wooden surface? Give me a break. People pay $200 for AirPods yet complain about $200-300 for these beauties.

I think you're confusing value with cost. Sure it might have a high value to you, but the cost is also too high. Especially when compared to any competing device.

But given how limited the music streaming services are on what is essentially a speaker designed for listening to music, I'd argue that it doesn't have a very high value either.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Being allowed to buy 10 HomePods at 50% rebate means an employee can actually make a few hundred dollars extra money by buying $299 HomePods for $150 and selling them for $200. So it's a little bit of tax free income.

Except they’re regularly available on sale for $199.

 

[iDento]

That's right. Speakers from a TV are more than enough. Don't need bass. Just as immersive. Plus, most people I know are perfectly happy with using the speaker on a phone for music. No one wants a speaker like no one wants a DSLR camera.

People using their phone speakers either didn’t try a high end speaker or they don’t care about music quality. Same goes for TV although TV speakers are way much better than phone ones for sure.

Same when people use default apps when there are many better alternatives, I do that too for apps I can not justify paying for.

 

[mazz0]

Modern day spy device, boy people are so gullible. What are you gonna do wait until Apple has another ”I‘m sorry Hey Siri was listening to you have sex with your wife without your consent” debacle.

SOURCE: https://www.macrumors.com/2019/07/26/siri-human-analysis-voice-recordings/

Unfortunate phrasing there!

 

[mazz0]

what would a new HomePod2 do? sound better? sounds like HomePod just needs software updates to make it better.

Better connectivity. Bluetooth for when guests come round and want to share something from their Android phones, and line in for a more reliable connection to your TV.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

Why does this still exist as a product? It's stupidly overpriced and underfeatured.

 

[scooterv51]

It’s a really good Airplay speaker and you can pretty much play anything from your phone/iPad/Mac including Spotify, YouTube, twitch, soundcloud etc. I stream twitch all the time.

It really isn’t as big of deal as people make out.

Absolutely correct. The handoff feature is very nice and your phone always shows what speakers are available to play your choice of music.

 

[ophh1]

I have a HomePod, it is a speaker that has a superb sound quality, yet trapped in a crappy system.
Either improve AirPlay2’s sound latency or unlock Bluetooth 5.0 to users will already be a great update.

Otherwise I would prefer an AirPod bluetooth speaker (AirPod Max/AirPod Extreme?) than a HomePod mini

 

[Wackery]

Does anybody who owns a homepod know if they resolved the problem of the base staining certain kinds of wood treatment? I don't want white "coffee rings" all over my shelves...

You need to buy the iCoaster

 

[Corsig]

Having a couple of minis around the house to use for the HomeKit products would be great. Would love to play music through these. I’m perfectly ok with the sound through echo’s and would be just as happy through apples

 

[Techwatcher]

Avoiding all those $199.99 sales on the HomePod 1 in anticipation of the HomePod 2 really hasn't served me well lol. Guess I will take advantage of the next sale.

 

[Doomtomb]

Apple needs to go back to first principles.

They tried to create a Hi-Fi sound system in a plug-in speaker solution with added brains. Started at $349 which was horrendously off target. The Christmas before, 2017, the Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini were the best selling smart speakers by a large margin. This should've been their target from the get-go.

It took them two years and a price cut to realize where they went wrong and actually make a second attempt? That's light years in the consumer electronics space. The solution is so obvious I don't know why Cook can't get the team together to execute.

 

[citysnaps]

Great news. It will piss off its customers by making obsolete the original HomePod. This is indication that there’s still lot of stock of it. Maybe the affordable? Mini drive some sales to the big one.

How will it make my five HomePods obsolete? They'll still work and deliver excellent sound. Why would that piss me off?

 

[El Fez]

Does anybody who owns a homepod know if they resolved the problem of the base staining certain kinds of wood treatment? I don't want white "coffee rings" all over my shelves...

I have two on my (wooden) desk. They do not get moved much unless I'm dusting off my office. After 2 years,I've not seen any staining from them. I'm thinking it may have just been a reaction to some types of cleaning spray?