The HomePod Mini, Apple’s new connected speaker, is available in France and other countries around the world. Its price is €99 is higher than many competing speakers like the Google Home Mini – so you’ll get a full review of the HomePod Mini!
After the release of Google Home and Amazon connected speakers, it seemed rather logical that Apple would also enter the arena. With its HomePod at 349, Apple had immediately placed itself mainly in front of high-end products like the Google Home Max – more centered on audio quality – with a new high price but that ultimately remains quite close. The problem is that the product has not found its audience. So a few months later, Apple unveiled a “HomePod Mini” at 99 more affordable – before removing the classic HomePod from sale.
summary
- HomePod Mini: release date
- HomePod Mini: Price
- HomePod: size and design
- HomePod Mini: fact sheet
- HomePod Mini: What does the press say?
- feedback
HomePod Mini: release date
The HomePod Mini was announced in October 2020. It has since been available in France.
HomePod Mini: Price
The HomePod Mini is available in two colours for 99 euros.
HomePod: size and design
The HomePod Mini is a miniature version of the HomePod. The device is just 8.38 cm high compared to 17.27 cm for the classic HomePod. Like its older brother, the HomePod Mini is covered with a mesh woven coating with no apparent seams – in two colours, either white or sidereal grey.
The device is also rounder. In fact, the shape is almost perfectly spherical on this model. It is crowned with an interface with some simple controls as to change volume and give orders to Siri. A network of colorful LEDs causes the same animation on top as the previous generation when you summon the assistant.
HomePod Mini: fact sheet
At the heart of the HomePod Mini is the S5 chip, the same ultra-efficient piece of silicon as the Apple Watch 5. The S5 chip works with algorithms to analyze sound reproduction and optimize sound, power, dynamic rank, and the vibrations of the device’s speaker on the fly.
The HomePod Mini has a single broadband speaker, combined with passive radiators that cancel out forces to deliver deep bass and clear highs. Independent tests also confirm sound quality above other competing “mini” speakers.
Apple points out that the speaker uses the same audio technologies as the classic HomePod to deliver a 360-degree sound experience. The small speaker is able to give the impression of being a larger speaker thanks to a battery of algorithms.
On the assistant side, three microphones directed outwards capture the voice, and a fourth, towards the inside of the device, filters the sound during playback and thus better detects the voice. In addition, the HomePod can distinguish the voices of up to 6 members of your household and deliver them a personalized experience.
The HomePod Mini also features a U1 Ultra Wideband chip that interacts with compatible iPhones. Approaching an iPhone from the HomePod mini allows you to continue listening on iPhone in a virtually transparent way. In the long run, this fact sheet should allow it more advanced features than the competition, with the possibility for example to adapt Siri’s responses to ambient noises and the distance between it and the user.
| HomePod fact sheet | |
|---|---|
| size | 84.3 mm high and 97.9 mm wide |
| weight | 345 grams |
| connectivity | – Wi-Fi 802.11n – Direct guest access – Bluetooth 5.0 Thread – Ultra Wideband chip (UWB) to detect nearby devices6 |
| ploughshare | – Apple S5 – U1 chip |
| Features | Siri – VoiceOver – Home and HomeKit app – Transcripts of Interphone Ads – Audio playback via Apple Music or third-party services – Playing radio stations – Playing podcasts and news – Stream other content from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV or Mac on the HomePod mini via AirPlay |
| Speakers/microphones | – Broadband transducer and two passive radiators for deep bass and high crystalline frequencies – Bespoke acoustic wave guide for a 360-degree sound field – Acoustically transparent fabric – Computer audio processing for real-time sound setting – Four microphones to stop Siri from afar – Multiroom audio with AirPlay 22 – Compatible with stereo pairing |
| Power in Watts | doesn.c. |
| Audio formats | – HE-AAC (V1) – AAFC (16 – 320 Kbps) – Protected AAFC – MP3 (16 – 320 Kbps) VBR MP3 – Apple Lossless – AIFF – WAV – FLAC |
| compatibility | Total: – iPhone 5S – iPhone 12 – iPad Mini 2 – iPad Pro Partial / as bluetooth speaker: |
| colour | White and Grey Sidereal |
| Prices | €99 |
HomePod Mini: What does the press say?
Credits: Unsplash
The overwhelming majority of independent tests hail a “remarkably heavy sound” despite the small size of the device. Testers are generally impressed by the richness of sound, the clarity of the treble and the impressive power of the device. The audio quality is surprisingly comparable to that of the classic HomePod yet much more sophisticated and expensive. The sound is generally considered better than the competing speakers in the category “Mini”.
The other positive highlight welcomed by the press is the particularly compact design of the device, which exudes quality and premium with its sophisticated fabric coating. The HomePod comes with a 20W charger and a USB C cable included in the box. The two colours, sidereal grey and white, are considered “attractive”.
