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New HomePod Mini Finally Expected This Year Following 2020 Launch
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For the size, I find the audio quality more than fine, and I have 5 of them. Though mine mostly get used for controlling smart devices so I can always control them no matter what room I'm in.
Tim wouldn’t allow that … he wants you to buy one for each room!
Hence when researching a product I actually read and dont rely on pretty marketing pictures. As for the battery question, sure the Move sounds good and has maybe 8 hours of actual use, but it is NOT portable in the sense it is rather heavy. Wouldn't go hiking with one for example. Works great to carry out on the deck. The roam is far lighter but in my opinion doesn't sound as good as the HomePod mini.
Not sure I would call battery life phenomenal. It degrades quickly and you essentially have to keep it on its charging base if you dont use it for more than a couple of days. I get about 8 hours of constant use after being fully charged. But I use mine outside and have the volume up. It does sound okay, prefer the HomePod (full size).
It's not hard to believe. Tim Cook is clueless and thus neglects certain products. For example, the Pro Display XDR was released in December 2019 and there still hasn't been a new model.
Hopefully Apple will continue to not encourage usage outdoors of a small speaker barely strong enough for indoors. Most if not all small speakers used outdoors sound awful.
- Black. But not quite black. More like night sky polluted by artificial lights.
- White. But rather smokey or starlight-y.
- A muted shade of pastel
- Another muted shade of pastel
- Yet another muted shade of pastel
- …
Not many speakers would last 8hrs of constant usage so it’s decent, mine is in the bedroom and lasts weeks on a single charge before it goes on the base
Well decent isn’t phenomenal which is what I was replying too…but agreed it’s in the eyes of the beholder. I find my Apple Watch’s 1 day battery life to be good, would never call it phenomenal, and some people bitterly complain about too short.
Having said that, I should clarify my experience is with the two Sonos move 1’s that I own, Sonos claims the Move 2 is twice as good, which I would agree is ‘decent’
My major complaint with the original Move is how quickly the battery degrades when not being used…
From Sonos’s web site…
“Move's battery lasts for up to 11 hours of uninterrupted playback. Pausing, volume level, Bluetooth, heat exposure, and other factors will cause battery life to fluctuate. If left off the charging base and idle, the battery can last up to 120 hours.”.
That’s less than 5 days, not weeks. I read the 2 has a proper sleep mode. Perhaps that’s what you’re quoting?
I feel compelled to point out my bedroom comes with outlets so I don’t use a battery driven speaker, but two HomePod minis. I prefer the stereo sound. I use the move outdoors when gardening where it’s not reasonable to assume the volume is low and hence power efficient. I don’t have outlets there.
Yh Move 2 is almost 24hrs and mine uses sleep mode so lasts weeks on a charge
I says that’s beyond decent for a portable speaker
From what I’ve read it’s leaving it on the base that degrades the battery but at least it’s replaceable
Agreed. It's usable only because users have internalized a rigid set of rules for making Siri requests. I'm not a fan of the new AIs either - they never say "I don't know", they always make something up.
The device without a screen is the one that would benefit the most from conversational AI. But I suppose it could be reserved for the full-sized HomePod.
I have 2 Homepods paired with 2 HomePod minis - it's a good combo.
Because the HomePods has a bit too much bass - for general play - and the Homepod minis has too little. Together they are really good, for my use, at least. But I guess it depends what you play on them.
But the mini's alone is not very good - I had the minis alone to start with - so I agree with that.
You can get a sound bar for the same price that sounds better.
A Sony TV from 2006, has far better sound quality than Home Pod Mini. I know, because I own a Sony TV from 2006, KDL-40v2500. Even today it has fantastic picture quality and way better sound quality than a $2,000 Sony TV or a $2,000 Samsung TV and WAY better sound quality than HomePod mini. Now days, you can buy the 2006 Sony tv for less than $30.
My 18 year old tv has better sound quality, even at high volume. But you think that a HomePod mini is "acceptable" for the price?? What planet do you live on?? Its a $5 speaker and a $95 Apple tax.
A used 20 year old AIWA bookshelf stereo system, with two cassette players, sounds better for the same price. Even Jensen speakers from Circuit City in early 90s, provided about the same sound quality as a homepod mini.
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Well.. the move 1, if you take it off the base, even without using it loses power in 4 days. thats not good.. so if I am going to use it at all, its on the base so its ready for me to pick up and take outside or whatever. I shouldn't have to plan when I am going to use it so as to charge it before hand. And, typically batteries don't like being fully drained so.. shrugs. I agree the move 2 is better, but I have been bit by Sonos before where I feel I am a beta tester for their products, heck all of us were by their app.. so.. even though I own a LOT of Sonos products (12) I have stopped buying them. You are right the move 1 battery is replaceable for $60 which is reasonable.
Re: battery
The HomePod isn’t a Bluetooth speaker. This is a feature not a flaw. Anyone in the home can control it at any time. It is not paired to a phone and doesn’t rely on a single phone to be in range, it is a wifi connected device. If they were portable they would need to make them Bluetooth. These are the reasons I like them. They are always there ready for anyone in the home to ask them to play anything.
The HomePod isn’t a Bluetooth speaker. This is a feature not a flaw. Anyone in the home can control it at any time. It is not paired to a phone and doesn’t rely on a single phone to be in range, it is a wifi connected device. If they were portable they would need to make them Bluetooth. These are the reasons I like them. They are always there ready for anyone in the home to ask them to play anything.