Review: What’s new in Apple’s HomePod?

The return of an old acquaintance

It was in 2018 when Apple launched its HomePod for the first time on the market thus joining the competition in the smart speaker market and although it had good reviews from the brand’s key users and even led to the launch of its mini version in 2020, the technology company decided to pause its production in 2021.

Now, with this return, from the outset we can notice a couple of things that I already consider to be favorable for the product. The first is that thanks to the fact that Apple continues to invest in its chips (in this case, the S7) and in the advancement of its computer audio, this speaker that promises that it can adapt the sound to each room in the house fulfills the task and I could verify this by moving it and listening to music while cooking, placed on a shelf with a wall and many objects around it, but also by placing it in the middle of the dining table with free space or on an outdoor table.

In all cases it was noticed how the audio was adjusted to try to give the best of itself and this not only had to do with its space but also with the type of music that was listened to (although I must confess that my musical range is not so varied, you did notice the difference in equalization between songs with many basses, many strings, many voices).

In terms of audio, I see how now the possibility of pairing two HomePods is perhaps the best way to coexist with this product, although the double investment has to be considered, since the sound experience is relevant, even when used in entertainment themes. Be careful when we talk about generating a stereo pair, this only works with two HomePods of the latest generation, it will not be possible for you to join a previous HomePod.

The second is that its design continues to be of high quality. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but it’s also functional with its seamless fabric mesh, the right size to fit in different spaces without being intrusive, and the touch surface on top is instantly responsive.

Now, another of the novelties of this HomePod is a reduction in the number of tweeters (from seven to five) and microphones (from six to four), however, this is not relevant when it comes to its performance.

Something else that is appreciated is that the cable can be disconnected from the device itself, so it becomes much easier to store.

Another part that is relevant for increasingly connected houses is the integration of the temperature and humidity sensor that allows these systems to be controlled from the HomePod and the sound detection system, which, for example, if you hear an alarm inside the house is capable of sending a notification to the user’s phone to alert that something is happening.

Considerations if you want a HomePod

The first thing to keep in mind is that this is a product that you can get the most out of if you are a core Apple user. That is, if you have an Apple TV, if you use HomeKit to make your home a smart home, if you have several Apple smart speakers in your home and can then take advantage of the Intercom function, if your day-to-day assistant is Siri and your favorite music service is Apple Music. If so, this is like no other and just complements the experience you already have and takes it to another level in terms of audio quality.

In this version you will not be able to play music from Spotify -but you will be able to play music from other services that are not Apple Music-, nor will you be able to manipulate or connect the HomePod from an Android (it is worth clarifying).

What you can do is make this smart speaker hear you clearly in almost any circumstance thanks to its microphones, make the sound travel from room to room if you have other HomePods even from previous versions connected in other rooms and have an experience exceptional audio no matter the volume or space in which you experience it.