October Apple Event reaction: HomePod Mini & MagSafe

 

 

The Aftermath of the October Apple event continues and today we're looking at the first device announced at the event: HomePod Mini.  

 

The HomePod has been Apple's one and only Smart Speaker until now, the HomePod Mini is exactly what it sounds like smaller, cheaper, HomePod for 99$.  The HomePod Mini hopes to bring a slice of the famous HomePod sound at a slice of the famous HomePod price.  So, let's get started, I'll start with the nitty-gritty of the sound specs and work our way down to Siri.  The HomePod Mini has a single driver with two passive radiators and an acoustic waveguide to help amplify the sound. The HomePod Mini also has an S5 System-in-Package for "computational audio" and adjust the music while it's playing, it also supports the U1 chip, more on that in the Siri section.  

 

The HomePod Mini is trying to focus on having 360’-degree audio, the presentation mostly showed the speaker in the center of a room or in a corner connecting rooms. I'm not sure if Apple noticed this...but the design of the speaker is what Amazon attempted to try with its 3rd-gen Echo, and it Flopped.  Google also noticed this, the Nest Audio and 4th-gen echo both are directional speakers made to face in one direction, this improved detail of sound and just improved the overall experience. I'm not sure if the HomePod Mini will change that but I am worried about the sound because of its failed sound design.

 

Speaking of design let's talk about the design of the whole speaker, unlike its brother the regular HomePod the Mini has a spherical design reminiscent of the new Echo's new design. The light at the top allows you to know when Siri is listening, and the side allows you to control the volume. It’s also is covered in a mesh of fabric, much like Google's and Amazons offerings. 

 

A smart speaker is nothing without an assistant, in this case Siri, Siri has always been lackluster when compared to the Google assistant or Alexa, I won't comment on Siri itself because no one has used the device yet but let me just say I'll be surprised if this turns out well.  Here is where the integration with the iPhone and the U1 chip comes in. The HomePod mini can now give each person a personal report based on their Apple ID, the U1 chip identifies each person based on the proximity of each iPhone. The U1 chip also allows you to pass off any music you’re playing to your HomePod by tapping your iPhone on the top.  

With Covid-19 forcing more people to quarantine and just spend more time indoors, intercom is a new feature that allows you to send a message to your household, from your iPhone, Car with Carplay, or HomePod. Apple also announced Siri supports multiple Music services besides Apple Music, notably no Spotify in sight, this doesn't affect me because I wouldn't even dram of getting this speaker but a lot of iPhone users use Spotify so it's a pity that integration is still on hold.

It also serves as a central hub for HomeKit devices that allows people to control lights, doors, thermostats, or other HomeKit devices. Overall, I'm not too excited for the HomePod Mini since I just prefer Google for my smart speakers, I'm also worried about Siri blundering again but Apple has touted the improvements they've made to the assistant.

I have done reports on all the iPhones announced at the event, but I did omit possibly the biggest announcement besides the iPhones: the return of MagSafe. It's back! This time for the iPhone not the Mac (sad). MagSafe will allow for a modular ecosystem and more convenient charging, all while complying with the chi standard for wireless charging.

Apple released teases for various products such as a wallet, sleeve, and cases that all attach to the back of the iPhone; they even made a charger that allows you to charge your iPhone and Apple watch with the same charger.  It's not just Apple making MagSafe products, Apple opened the specs of the standard allowing 3rd-party companies to make products that work with MagSafe.  Only Apple could make something even remotely similar and that's part of their charm. If anything like this would happen on Android it would be discarded as a gimmick easily dismissed and never to be seen again, Apple puts a certain dedication into their products and I'm confident that MagSafe can make a name for itself.

Image credit: Apple

Image credit: Apple

Image credit: Apple

I have one more thing coming up to close down the Apple event next week, of course barring any major news, I hope you can join me next week to talk about the products that were never announced at the Apple event and the leak rumors that swirled before it.

 

Best, BenTechCoder

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