Apple Announces A New Smaller HomePod mini

Along with the new range of iPhones that Apple has announced today, the company also announced a new smart speaker, the HomePod mini, a smaller version of the original HomePod with a new compact design and a cheaper price tag at $99. 

Similarly to the original HomePod, the new HomePod mini is packed into a mesh fabric case that is available in both black and white color options. However, the new mini speaker features a shorter, more spherical design with a small display on top to show Siri’s interactions as well as controlling volume. If we take a look at the inside of this new speaker, Apple packed one main driver, two passive radiators, as well as an “acoustic waveguide” on the bottom.

Talking about processing power, the new HomePod mini features an Apple S5 chip. Apple claims that this chip can process audio and adjust the music at a speed of 180 times per second. The S5 chip will also allow multiple mini speakers to play music in sync, and when they are in the same room, to create a stereo effect, offering a whole surround sound experience. 

Apple also promised that later this year, iPhone devices will be able to show the content playing on the HomePod mini hands-free just by coming closer to the speaker. This will be available through the use of the U1 chip that was introduced in the previous line-up of iPhones. 

Another new feature that is coming with the new speaker in the “Intercom”. This will allow users with multiple mini speakers in different rooms to communicate with each other through Siri. Intercom messages will be delivered to all Apple devices around the house, while audio devices like HomePod and AirPods will play the message, other devices like Apple Watch and iPhones will show a notification with the message. 

Apple also announced that support for third-party music services will be coming later this year, the list of supported services includes Pandora, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio, there was no mention of Spotify support though.

The HomePod mini will be available for only $99 which is quite cheaper than the original speaker that was priced at $349 at launch. Preorders start on November 6th, with shipping on November 16th. 

Also Read: Apple Watch Series 6 Is Here With A New Processor