During Apple’s ‘Hi! Speed‘ event on Tuesday 13 October 2020, it launched its new Apple HomePod Mini smart speaker. It’s smaller than the original 2018 model, and it comes with a lower price tag of $99 (£99, AU$149), giving it a brand new piece of hardware to pit against Amazon, Google and others in the race to bring voice control into our homes.
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The device is a smaller version of the company’s HomePod speaker, offering integration with Siri, high-quality sound, and an overhauled design. Apple said the HomePod Mini features an acoustic waveguide for a consistent 360-degree sound experience.
“This allows customers to place HomePod mini almost anywhere in a room and hear consistent sound,” Apple said. “A three-microphone array listens for “Hey Siri,” and a fourth inward-facing microphone helps isolate sound coming from the speaker to improve voice detection when music is playing.
It sports an Apple S5 chip and advanced software which enables computational audio, which analyses the characteristics of the music, optimises loudness, and adjusts dynamic range 180 times per second.
“The result is an audio experience unheard of in a speaker this size,” Apple said.
The smart speaker can pair with other HomePod Mini devices to provide a surround sound experience, and it also integrates with your iPhone, dynamically switching playback and delivering haptic effects to your device when it is nearby.
The device can also use Siri to access apps in your iPhone, allowing you to use the smart speaker for personalised voice commands.
Apple has also launched an Intercom feature which allows you to send voice commands to other HomePod mini devices in your home, as well as iPhone and iPad devices. This feature will also deliver a notification to your family’s personal Apple devices.
“Like every Apple product, the HomePod Mini is designed with your security and privacy in mind,” Apple said.
The device will be available in White and Space Grey, and pre-orders will open from 6 November. The HomePod Mini will begin shipping on 16 November.
HomePod Mini
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