Apple last night introduced a new connected speaker: HomePod Mini. This new connected speaker, offered for 99 euros in France from November, is perfectly integrated into Apple’s ecosystem. Better yet, it is possible to use two HomePods Minis to create a stereo system. However, Apple has no plans to connect a classic HomePod with a HomePod Mini to simulate a stereo system. It doesn’t matter said like that. But this can have an unsuspected negative impact.
Last night, we followed apple’s keynote with you where the iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max were presented. A quartet of rather interesting smartphones, with a platform that seems to be very powerful and a design between retrovintage and elegance. Not everyone is a fan, but some will appreciate the tribute to the iPhone 4.
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Apple didn’t just introduce iPhones yesterday. The firm has also lifted the lid on a new connected speaker called HomePod Mini. This is “simply” the miniaturized version of the HomePod that we know. Atypical product developed to compete with Echo Dot at Amazon or Nest Audio at Google. Its price is 99 euros (a price quite close to the price in dollars, for once). And it’s seamlessly integrated into Apple’s ecosystem with connections to Siri, Carplay, AirPods and of course iPhones.
Can’t create a stereo system with two different speakers
Among all the features offered by HomePod Mini, you’ll find connectivity with other Apple-branded connected speakers. A few examples. You can send voice messages, you can transfer information. You can play the same music with multiple HomePod or HomePod Minis. And it is possible to combine two HomePods to create a stereo system. An article published by the loop Insight blog explains that this feature was worn on HomePod Mini: you can buy two to use as a stereo system.
But can you create a stereo system using a HomePod and a HomePod Mini? According to the same article, the answer is no. No heterogeneous system to create a two-channel atmosphere. It must be said that the technical differences between the two products would certainly not offer the best possible experience. So this absence is not that important. On the other hand, it might be of some importance if you want to create a more complex system.
And when there are more than two speakers?
In the coming days, Apple will roll out a new feature called Theater. It allows you to create 5.1, 7.1 and Dolby Audio audio systems using connected speakers. These are driven with the Apple TV 4K. By pairing HomePods with the Apple TV 4K, it will be possible to create a complex audio system. And it’s very interesting. Except that creating a 5.1 system with that HomePods will come back very expensive.
A simple solution could have been to replace some HomePods with Mini HomePods which are three times cheaper. However, this will be impossible, as HomePods and HomePods Mini cannot be used in heterogeneous audio systems. And that’s where it gets a shame. Hopefully, Apple will create heterogeneous audio systems by combining different HomePods.
Source: Loop Insight
